Gavin Cooney
@gcooney93.bsky.social
Sports correspondent, Irish Times. Co-writer of THE RACKET by Conor Niland, 2024 William Hill Sports Book of the Year.
Piece wrapping up experience of a crazy international window Ireland v Israel was no ordinary work assignment. Irish journalists were being watched www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
This was no ordinary football assignment. Irish journalists were watched at every turn
Recurring presence of out-of-place people combined with blatant filming of reporters made for a deeply uncomfortable week
irishtimes.com
My live piece from Backa Topola Ireland and Israel’s fortnight of fury ends on a bizarre stage in rural Serbia www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Ireland and Israel’s fortnight of fury ends on a bizarre stage in rural Serbia
Heated scenes in Backa Topola as Ireland let slip another half-time lead
irishtimes.com
Piece recapping another crazy day. ‘We are not doing questions like this’: Sound and fury continues to swirl around Ireland and Israel www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
‘We are not doing questions like this’: Sound and fury continues to swirl around Ireland and Israel
Press conferences for both teams were tense, with the two head coaches saying they wanted to stick to talking about the game
irishtimes.com
Protests prove only a minor interruption as Aviva chooses to focus on football www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Protests prove only a minor interruption as Aviva chooses to focus on football
After fraught forecasts, the night belonged to Troy Parrott until the game slipped away from Ireland against Austria
irishtimes.com
Excellent column by Fintan O'Toole that illustrates the profound lack of leadership on the Israel games comes from the government down. Micheál Martin did something unique in our history, making what happened next even worse www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...
Fintan O'Toole: Ireland stood up to Israel - and then left it to 26 footballers to follow through
With his speech to the UN, Micheál Martin did something unique in our history. It makes what happened next even worse
irishtimes.com
Long week ahead as Ireland brace for emotional fan reaction at Aviva Stadium www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Gavin Cooney: Long week ahead as Ireland brace for emotional fan reaction at Aviva Stadium
FAI unlikely to make any significant noises about second Israel fixture until home match against Austria out of the way
irishtimes.com
Big read here on an abject, rancorous, extraordinary day. The potential scale of fallout to come is the stuff of Saipan 2.0 Ireland v Israel: Day of infamy exposes serious lack of leadership in FAI www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Ireland v Israel: Day of infamy exposes serious lack of leadership in FAI
Gavin Bazunu has been left brutally isolated as any semblance of squad unity has been utterly sundered
irishtimes.com
It was great to hear from some of the Irish players in mixed zone - sense emerging that they are not happy to have been put in this position. Jason Knight here states that thr games Shouldn't go ahead, but I don't expect there to be a last-minute boycott www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Jason Knight says Ireland players will ‘have a deeper talk’ about Israel games on Friday
No eleventh-hour boycott expected with players understood to be donating match fees from Israel games to a charity operating in Gaza
irishtimes.com
My piece from Pristina on Troy Parrott's travails as a consequence of a poor Irish performance. Fortunate to lose only 1-0 Troy Parrott left to feed off scraps by an Irish team that never found any rhythm www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Troy Parrott left to feed off scraps by an Irish team that never found any rhythm
Real Betis man upstaged on the night as Vedat Muriqi stars for Kosovo
irishtimes.com
The opening Q to Heimir in Kosovo yesterday - “The Taoiseach Micheál Martin has defended you and your comments while at the United Nations.” Fair to say it’s a departure from the standard,“So, Heimir ... any knocks?” www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Heimir Hallgrímsson battles to get the ball on the ground and return focus to Kosovo clash
Furore over Israel fixtures has distracted from the task at hand, as Republic of Ireland face a strong Kosovan side in Pristina
irishtimes.com
In Dublin Wednesday evening to discuss the Ireland - Israel match and broader issues of football misgovernance. Harry Browne, @rebeccaokeefe.bsky.social and @seanmacr.bsky.social will be among those there. Do come along if you're around.
My column this week Gavin Cooney: Why I won’t be joining media boycott of Ireland’s games against Israel www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Gavin Cooney: Why I won’t be joining media boycott of Ireland’s games against Israel
Staging of these games is wrong but there is nothing additional to be gained by the media refusing to cover them
irishtimes.com
My piece from inside the ropes on another bewildering, astonishing day Shane Lowry distils the mania around him as Donald Trump and Clare Force One hit the course www.irishtimes.com/sport/golf/2...
Shane Lowry distils the mania around him as Donald Trump and Clare Force One hit the course
Doonbeg was rowdy with giddy adulation as crowds clambered over dunes in pursuit of Offaly man’s every shot
irishtimes.com
My piece from Doonbeg on a surreal couple of hours Golf momentarily takes backseat in Doonbeg as Trump touches down at Irish Open www.irishtimes.com/sport/golf/2...
Golf momentarily takes backseat in Doonbeg as Trump touches down at Irish Open
Third tee provides prime viewing spot for US president’s arrival in West Clare
irishtimes.com
My piece from Doonbeg on a surreal couple of hours Golf momentarily takes backseat in Doonbeg as Trump touches down at Irish Open www.irishtimes.com/sport/golf/2...
Golf momentarily takes backseat in Doonbeg as Trump touches down at Irish Open
Third tee provides prime viewing spot for US president’s arrival in West Clare
irishtimes.com
Tuesday's show is out now on the World Service feat. @gcooney93.bsky.social on Trump at Doonbeg, American economics shaping Irish golf, and Rory's role in it all
Currently reading - would recommend. Great chapter included on Ireland v Yugoslavia/FAI v McQuaid
Troy Parrott’s lively Real Betis debut showed glimpses of what is to come
Troy Parrott’s lively Real Betis debut showed glimpses of what is to come
Irish striker missed a chance immediately after coming off bench, but played a role in the winning goal
irishtimes.com
My column this week is about the return of systematised and dehumanised sport. Not the Set-Piece Premier League, but Beijing's Robot Olympics Don’t worry about athletes, the Robot Games showcases how they might replace the rest of us www.irishtimes.com/sport/2026/0...
Don’t worry about athletes, the Robot Games showcases how they might replace the rest of us
AI Olympics won’t threaten elite sportspeople – I’m just happy there isn’t a sportswriting category
irishtimes.com
My column this week is about the return of systematised and dehumanised sport. Not the Set-Piece Premier League, but Beijing's Robot Olympics Don’t worry about athletes, the Robot Games showcases how they might replace the rest of us www.irishtimes.com/sport/2026/0...
Don’t worry about athletes, the Robot Games showcases how they might replace the rest of us
AI Olympics won’t threaten elite sportspeople – I’m just happy there isn’t a sportswriting category
irishtimes.com
This is a link to my article in this weekend's Irish Times. Thanks to Conor Hourihane and Joe Dunne for a glimpse at the mad world of Management ‘You very rarely get home properly’: Two Irish managers on the realities of a precarious profession www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
‘You very rarely get home properly’: Two Irish managers on the realities of a precarious profession
Conor Hourihane and Joe Dunne detail the extraordinary pressures of patrolling the sidelines – and what makes it all worthwhile
irishtimes.com
This is a link to my article in this weekend's Irish Times. Thanks to Conor Hourihane and Joe Dunne for a glimpse at the mad world of Management ‘You very rarely get home properly’: Two Irish managers on the realities of a precarious profession www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
‘You very rarely get home properly’: Two Irish managers on the realities of a precarious profession
Conor Hourihane and Joe Dunne detail the extraordinary pressures of patrolling the sidelines – and what makes it all worthwhile
irishtimes.com
Here is my article from Croke Park. The best-attended football match in Irish history, and it's at a GAA venue and without a single Irish player involved. What a country www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
United edge Leeds at Croke Park ... but GAA the winner in valuable money-spinner
Attendance tops 82,000, making game best-ever attended football match in history of State
irishtimes.com
Who is Dan O'Toole, the Irish Fifa executive at the heart of the deal to sell off World Cup? www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Who is Dan O’Toole, the Irish Fifa executive at the heart of deal to sell off World Cup?
Dubliner was reportedly handpicked by Gianni Infantino to work on controversial plan
irishtimes.com
Was delighted to spend some time in Cardiff this week with Brian Barry-Murphy, who is doing great things. We talked about Cork, JBM, Pep, ROG, and Christy Moore. Brian Barry-Murphy: How his father Jimmy, Pep Guardiola and Ireland shaped Cardiff’s manager www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Brian Barry-Murphy: How his father Jimmy, Pep Guardiola and Ireland shaped Cardiff’s manager
The Cardiff boss discusses his father Jimmy, Pep Guardiola, Ronan O’Gara and the lessons he learned from his own playing career
irishtimes.com
My column this week FAI bins another grand plan and reminds us the football family is still dysfunctional www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Gavin Cooney: FAI bins grand plan and reminds us the football family is still dysfunctional
Football Pathways Plan aimed to align the sport's calendar, but lack of unity proved its undoing
irishtimes.com
