Born in Killarney, County Kerry, Courtney was a graduate of the Gaiety School of Acting in 1991.
[2] Courtney appeared in numerous television productions, including Fair City and The Tudors, but is especially associated with his portrayal of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty in his play God has no Country.
It premiered at Carthage in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA in 2022 before traveling to the region 3 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Flint, Michigan in 2023.
The production then traveled to Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin before completing its run at West End House.
[4] Married with two children, Courtney was the son of the long-standing Killarney town councillor and tourism director Michael Courtney, a former director of elections for Fine Gael in Kerry South.