**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.
