[1] Born in London, he holds a BA in Politics and History from Keele University, and has held a number of senior diplomatic posts.
He assisted in the talks leading to the Belfast Agreement, being named by George Mitchell as one of the two "unsung heroes of the peace process".
[4] In December 2008 it was announced that Cooney would become Secretary-General at the Department of Foreign Affairs in January 2009, replacing Dermot Gallagher.
[6] In January 2012 Cooney presented his credentials to Pope Benedict XVI as the first non residential Irish ambassador to the Holy See.
In September 2014, he presented his credentials to King Felipe VI as the new Irish ambassador to Spain.