Jack Cooney
{{Short description|Westmeath Gaelic footballer and manager}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox Gaelic Athletic Association player
| name = Jack Cooney
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| clubs = Coralstown/Kinnegad
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| code = Football
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| icyears = 1988–2000
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Jack Cooney (born 1971) is a Gaelic football manager and former player for the Westmeath county team. He was manager of the Westmeath county team between 2018 and 2022.
Playing career
Cooney began playing for Westmeath when he was 17 years of age, which was in 1988, and after playing became involved as a selector, including with the Páidí Ó Sé-led 2004 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final-winning team.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/22-not-out-westmeath-cause-still-important-to-jack-cooneys-life-41761998.html|title=22 not out – Westmeath cause still important to Jack Cooney's life|work=Irish Independent|first=Donnchadh|last=Boyle|date=17 June 2022|access-date=15 July 2022|archive-date=30 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630054848/https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/22-not-out-westmeath-cause-still-important-to-jack-cooneys-life-41761998.html|url-status=live}}
He stopped playing for Westmeath in 2000, when he was 29 years of age.{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/jack-cooney-westmeath-leinster-football-gaa-4648618-May2019/|title='He'd a great sense of people, a very passionate man and it was great to be around him'|publisher=The42.ie|date=25 May 2019|access-date=15 July 2022|archive-date=26 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926083200/https://www.the42.ie/jack-cooney-westmeath-leinster-football-gaa-4648618-May2019/|url-status=live}}
He played for Westmeath for twelve years, coaching the team for six years under the management of Páidí Ó Sé, Tomás Ó Flatharta and Luke Dempsey before the county board gave him the senior managerial job.{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/jack-cooney-westmeath-5792576-Jun2022/|title='I was blessed to be in with Paidí and that team of 2004. That was magical'|publisher=The42.ie|first=Kevin|last=O'Brien|date=17 June 2022|access-date=15 July 2022|archive-date=17 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617072329/https://www.the42.ie/jack-cooney-westmeath-5792576-Jun2022/|url-status=live}}
Managerial career
Cooney managed Coralstown/Kinnegad to the 2011 Westmeath Intermediate Football Championship title.{{cite news|url=https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2020/09/24/looking-back-on-westmeath-intermediate-finals-past/|title=Looking back on Westmeath intermediate finals past|date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006153359/https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2020/09/24/looking-back-on-westmeath-intermediate-finals-past/|archive-date=6 October 2020}}
He first applied for the Westmeath senior managerial position in 2014.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/keane-edge-can-give-a-bounce-to-westmeath-41113294.html|title=Keane edge can give a 'bounce' to Westmeath|work=Irish Independent|date=3 December 2021|access-date=15 July 2022|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203221601/https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/keane-edge-can-give-a-bounce-to-westmeath-41113294.html|url-status=live}} A selector under Páidí Ó Sé, Cooney's appointment as Westmeath senior manager was ratified in September 2018, making him the first Westmeath native to fill the role since 1992.{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/westmeath-gaa-football-hurling-managers-4234873-Sep2018/|title=Westmeath announce appointment of new football and hurling managers|publisher=The42.ie|date=13 September 2018|access-date=15 July 2022|archive-date=5 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005033848/https://www.the42.ie/westmeath-gaa-football-hurling-managers-4234873-Sep2018/|url-status=live}}
He nearly led Westmeath to a Leinster final in 2021 but Kildare prevented this.{{cite news|url=https://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/2021/09/24/jack-cooney-given-extension-as-westmeath-football-manager/|title=Jack Cooney given extension as Westmeath football manager|work=Westmeath Examiner|date=24 September 2021|access-date=15 July 2022|archive-date=14 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714022813/https://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/2021/09/24/jack-cooney-given-extension-as-westmeath-football-manager/|url-status=live}}
On 23 September 2021, he was ratified for a further two-year term ahead of the 2022 season.{{cite news|url=https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/320405|title=Fortune favours Westmeath|work=Hogan Stand|date=23 September 2021}} However, Cooney resigned unexpectedly in August 2022 to take up a player development role at national level within the GAA.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2022/0827/1319129-jack-cooney-exits-westmeath-to-take-up-gaa-role/|title=Jack Cooney exits Westmeath to take up GAA player development job|publisher=RTÉ|date=27 August 2022}}
Cooney's club management experience before the Westmeath senior appointment involved managerial roles with Rhode, Newbridge and his home club Coralstown/Kinnegad.
Cooney is a former Donegal selector too and is married to a woman from Kilcar.{{cite news|url=https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/324211|title=Westmeath manager pays special visit to Donegal youngster in hospital|work=Hogan Stand|date=11 July 2022|access-date=15 July 2022|archive-date=11 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220711213910/https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/324211|url-status=live}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box
| title = Westmeath Senior Football Manager
| before = Colin Kelly
| after = Dessie Dolan
| years = 2018–2022
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Westmeath Football Team 2022}}
{{Westmeath county football team managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooney, Jack}}
Category:Donegal county football team
Category:Gaelic football coaches
Category:Gaelic football managers