*Gavin Cooney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
TWO-TIME CLARE SFC winner, Gavin Cooney has left the county senior football panel.
Added to the senior squad in 2018 fresh from the minor ranks, Gavin made the decision to leave the Clare panel last week in the wake of their disappointing five point loss to Donegal in the opening round of the All-Ireland series.
Surprising, Cooney was not used at any stage in defeat to Donegal. The Ennis native has had to contend with a role as a substitute in this year’s championship and was not handed a starting jersey in any of their four outings.
He kicked a point when introduced off the bench in Clare’s dramatic one point win over Cork while on the field for twenty minutes. He was brought on with forty five minutes played in the Munster semi-final win over Limerick and on the forty eighth minute versus Kerry in the Munster final.
There was no appearance from the bench for the Éire Óg forward a fortnight ago with Lissycasey’s Aaron Griffin and Mark McInerney chosen as the substitutes to introduce in attack instead.
During this year’s Allianz National Football League, Cooney started four of Clare’s seven outings and was introduced as a substitute in two further games. He notched a personal tally of 1-09, the goal coming against Dublin in Croke Park, a game Colm Collins’ side came moments away from winning.
In 2021, Gavin started all of Clare’s outings in the National Football League and memorably stepped up with a goal in their clash with Mayo. Last year, he started the Munster quarter-final when Clare lost to Limerick on penalties and retained his spot for the two point win over Meath but was back on the bench when they overcame Roscommon to seal a spot in the last eight. For this clash, a 5-13 2-08 loss to Derry, he was brought on with fifty three minutes played for Podge Collins.
At club level, Gavin has captained Éire Óg to successive senior championships and has been one of the standout players in the competition. Not alone is he a key player for Paul Madden’s Éire Óg football side but he was a standout player for Matt Shannon’s hurlers who reached the county final only to come up short to Ballyea.
