{{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 | image = | alt = | caption = | <!-- Personal information --> | irish = | sport = | clposition = | icposition = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1971}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | feet = | inches = | nickname = | occupation = | <!-- Club(s) --> | clyears = | clubs = Coralstown/Kinnegad | clapps(points) = | <!-- Club titles --> | code = Football | county = | clcounty = | province = | clprovince = | clallireland = | <!-- Colleges(s) --> | colyears = | colleges = | colapps(points) = | <!-- College titles --> | fitz = | sig = | <!-- Inter-county(ies) --> | icyears = 1988–2000 | counties = Westmeath | icapps(points) = | <!-- Inter-county titles --> | icprovince = | icconnacht = | iculster = | icleinster = | icmunster = | icallireland = | nfl = | nhl = | allstars = | <!-- Last updated --> | clupdate = | icupdate = }} '''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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
He stopped playing for Westmeath in 2000, when he was 29 years of age.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==Managerial career== Cooney managed Coralstown/Kinnegad to the 2011 Westmeath Intermediate Football Championship title.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
He first applied for the Westmeath senior managerial position in 2014.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name=new_football_and_hurling_managers>{{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}}</ref>
He nearly led Westmeath to a Leinster final in 2021 but Kildare prevented this.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
On 23 September 2021, he was ratified for a further two-year term ahead of the 2022 season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/320405|title=Fortune favours Westmeath|work=Hogan Stand|date=23 September 2021}}</ref> However, Cooney resigned unexpectedly in August 2022 to take up a player development role at national level within the GAA.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Cooney's club management experience before the Westmeath senior appointment involved managerial roles with Rhode, Newbridge and his home club Coralstown/Kinnegad.<ref name=new_football_and_hurling_managers/>
Cooney is a former Donegal selector too.<ref name="Special Visit"/>
==Personal life== Cooney is married to a woman from Kilcar.<ref name="Special Visit">{{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}}</ref> His son Brían has played for Westmeath, including in the 2026 Leinster Senior Football Championship final, when he attempted a two-pointer only for the ball to sail over Dublin goalkeeper Evan Comerford and in to the net for a goal and three points.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/2026/05/06/mchughs-influence-driving-westmeath-on-cooney/|title=McHugh's influence driving Westmeath on – Cooney|first=Damien|last=Maher|date=6 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2026/0517/1573768-westmeath-in-dreamland-after-leinster-triumph/|title=Westmeath in dreamland after second-ever Leinster triumph|work=RTÉ|first=Paul|last=Keane|date=17 May 2026}}</ref>
==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:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Donegal county football team non-playing personnel Category:Gaelic football coaches Category:Gaelic football managers Category:Gaelic football selectors Category:Westmeath county football team non-playing personnel Category:Westmeath inter-county Gaelic footballers