Born in Dublin but now playing in Belfast, John Cooney has made quite the impression on Irish rugby since making his debut for Leinster back in 2011.
The 30-year-old now plies his trade for Ulster and despite being eligible to play for Scotland through family ties, the scrum-half has also worn the green jersey of Ireland 11 times.
His journey as a rugby professional has had many twists and turns, with the dynamic Irish back enduring setbacks as well as breaks – but how well do you know him?
There is more than meets the eye to John Cooney, so here are five things you may not have known about him.
Journalistic surroundings
Growing up in Dublin, Cooney would go on to study at Gonzaga College and University College Dublin, but his desire to educate himself came from his father, also named John, an established journalist and author.
His career started in Scotland where he worked for the Glasgow Herald before moving to Brussels in 1982 to become European correspondent, and then religious affairs correspondent, for The Irish Times and The Irish Independent.
However, his book on Josh Charles McQuaid, the Ruler of Catholic Ireland, would be his most significant impact in Irish history.
The elder Cooney would go on to release a handful of other titles whilst carrying out his duties as a journalist at Ireland’s biggest papers.
Uncle’s screenwriting success
Cooney’s connections to Catholic Ireland don’t stop there, with his aunt’s husband the man whose novel was the inspiration behind Oscar-nominated movie Philomena – Martin Sixsmith.
After being a foreign correspondent for the BBC during the Cold War and becoming director of communications in Tony Blair’s government in 1997, Sixsmith then turned to writing novels.
And his story of a mother’s 50-year search for a forcibly adopted son in the 1950s – The Lost Child of Philomena – quickly gained traction.
The book was transformed into a four-time Oscar-nominated screenplay starring the likes of Judi Dench and Steve Coogan.
First to play 20+ games for three Irish provinces
In addition to having authors in his family, Cooney also has a claim to fame on the rugby field having become the first player to play more than 20 games for three difference Irish provinces.
Beginning at Leinster, Cooney made his tournament debut against Ospreys in 2011, though opportunities were not always easy to come by over the next three years.
Wishing to elevate himself beyond international cover, the scrum-half elected to join Connacht on a season-long loan in 2014, making enough of an impact for a permanent switch a year later.
By 2017, he was turning out for a third Irish club, signing for an Ulster side in which he has thrived. An astounding 529 points have come his way in the 61 appearances to date, making himself a key member of Dan McFarland’s unit.
Unconventional Ulster beginnings
Having been named Ulster Player of the Year, the Ulster Rugby Supporters’ Club Player of the Year and Rugby Writers’ Player of the Year in his debut season, it’s fair to say that Cooney started on the front foot at the Kingspan.
But it could all have been so different for a man who replaced long-time scrum-half and former Springbok international Ruan Pienaar in Belfast.
With Pienaar departing, the Irishman sighted an opportunity to become a regular starter and his agent set up a meeting with then-Ulster coach Les Kiss.
But an unfortunate turn of events meant the journey north was an uphill battle.
A punctured tyre left him stranded at a petrol station, and on his attempt to put on the spare, the nut-key broke to leave him out of options.
Cooney’s best friend Aonghus Cody would save the day by picking him up and driving him to Belfast for the interview – to which he arrived four hours late – but his determination to still arrive played a key role in Ulster offering him a contract the next day.
A talented cul-de-sac
Growing up in a small suburb of Dublin called Terenure, you would think Cooney’s achievements would make him the only professional sportsman in the town.
But that couldn’t be much further from the truth. His next-door neighbour was Leinster icon Kevin McLaughlin, who was five years the elder, with the pair playing football in their road before going to the same school, university and then starting their careers with Leinster.
With the nephew of football Kevin Moran – who received a scholarship to play gold in America – just a few doors down, this little road in Terenure was certainly littered with talent.
