Colm Cooper
Encyclopedia
Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper is an Irish
sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football
with his local club Dr. Croke’s
and has been a member of the Kerry
senior inter-county team since 2002. Cooper is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.
win the 2000 Kerry Senior Football Championship, aged just 16. They beat An Ghaeltacht
in the final.
Crokes reached the Kerry final again in 2005 and 2006, but were defeated on both occasions by South Kerry
. However, South Kerry are a divisional side and not a club, therefore Crokes qualified to represent the county in the Munster Senior Club Football Championship
. In 2006 Dr. Crokes won the Munster Club Championship, beating The Nire
of Waterford
in the decider. They advanced to the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
after beating Moorefield
of Kildare
after a replay in the semi-final, and faced Crossmaglen
of Armagh
in the All-Ireland Club final in March 2007. The game finished in a draw. Crossmaglen won the replay to claim their fourth All-Ireland title. In 2010 Cooper played a vital role in beating Austin Stacks in Tralee in the Championship final finally giving Corkes the title after the 3 losses in finals. Cooper and Crokes were back again in 2011 to win back to Back county titles.
, he continued his rise in that year's Championship
, with excellent performances against Wicklow
, Kildare
, Galway
and Cork on route to the All-Ireland final, where they faced Armagh
. Armagh defeated Kerry in a close encounter. Cooper was awarded an All Star award
for his performances that year.
In 2003 Kerry won the Munster Senior Football Championship
, but were knocked out of the All-Ireland Championship by Tyrone
at the semi-final.
2004 proved to be a very successful year for Cooper and Kerry. It began with the county winning the 2004 National League, with victory over Galway
in the decider. They also defended their Munster title, before going on to win the All-Ireland Championship
– beating Mayo
in the final. Cooper put in another excellent performance in the final, scoring 1–05 including a superb individual goal where he fielded a high ball under pressure before taking on three defenders and slotting it into the Mayo net. He received another All Star and was named Texaco Footballer of the Year
.
Kerry won their third consecutive Munster Championship in 2005
, beating old rivals Cork in the decider. Kerry once again reached the All-Ireland final, this time against Tyrone. After a bright start, Cooper was injured in a clash with Tyrone goalkeeper Pascal McConnell
which limited his involvement. Tyrone won the game 1–16 to 2–10. He did however win a third All Star.
Cooper won a second National League medal with Kerry in 2006, once again beating Galway in the final. In the Championship
Cork defeated Kerry in the Munster final. Kerry however, did advance to the All-Ireland final, where they once again met Mayo. Kerry won the game by 13 points and Cooper was again one of Kerry's main contributors scoring 1–02. He was the Kerry captain for part of that year, although regular captain Declan O'Sullivan
was restored as captain for the All-Ireland final. After wining the game, the Sam Maguire Cup
was lifted by both O' Sullivan and Cooper. He was nominated but not selected for an All Star that year.
In 2007 Cooper was instrumental in Kerry regaining their Munster Championship title after an enthralling game against Cork, which Kerry won 1–15 to 1–13. Having been quiet for long spells, he burst into life and in a five minute period scored 1–02. After beating Dublin
by two points in the semi-final, Kerry progressed to face their bitter rivals Cork in the first ever all-Munster All-Ireland final. Kerry comfortably beat Cork 3–13 to 1–09, to become the first team to retain the title since Cork themselves 17 years before. Cooper got the goal that put Kerry in the driving seat, rising to fist the ball over the onrushing Alan Quirke
. Cooper finished the game with 1-05. He received another All Star and was nominated as one of three contenders for 2007 Footballer of the Year. He was also named on the GPA Team of the Year
.
Kerry reached the 2008 National League final, but were beaten by Derry
. Cork beat Kerry in the 2008
Munster final. Kerry nevertheless advanced to the All-Ireland final, to face Tyrone for the third time in six years. Tyrone once again came out on top. Cooper did however win a fifth All Star award that year and was once again named on the GPA Team of the Year.
Colm Cooper made a poor start to the 2009 championship in the Munster championship and early qualifier games by his own standards. He and Tomás Ó Sé were dropped from the starting Kerry 15 for the qualifier game against Antrim, due to a breach of team discipline. Cooper came on against Antrim and made an immediate impact notching 4 frees in another unconvincing win for Kerry. Kerry progressed to face Dublin
in the quarter final and were given little chance of beating a Dublin side after winning their fifth Leinster Championships
in a row. Dublin had the usual support of a strong Croke Park crowd and media behind them. However, within a minute Cooper had Kerry in front with a finely taken goal. They nullified Dublin's tradition of making a strong start by making a blitzkrieg of their own and were a whopping 1–13 to 0–03 ahead at the break. The game ended with Kerry on top by a 17 point margin and Cooper announcing his return to form with a massive haul of 1–08. Cooper and Kerry brushed Meath aside in a low key semi final before they faced against Cork in the semi final. For the first time in their 6 meetings in Croke Park, the rebels were the punters choice for the victory. Much was made of Anthony Lynch's duel with Cooper as it was felt the Lynch had got the better of "The Gooch" in the seasons earlier meetings. Once again Cooper and Kerry showed their class on the big day. Lynch was booked early on for consistent fouling on Cooper who was the fulcrum of many Kerry attacks. Kerry eventually won a gripping, tough encounter 0-16 to 1-09 giving Cooper his fourth All Ireland Medal at just 26.
In April 2010, Cooper sustained a serious eye injury in a NFL Division 1
win over Monaghan
. He torn a duct in one of his eyes: doctors in Kerry expressed concern about his condition. He collided with Monaghan defender Darren Hughes after seven minutes and required treatment on and off the field. However, he returned to the Kerry team for the championship.
in the International Rules Series
.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with his local club Dr. Croke’s
Dr. Crokes
Dr Crokes is a Gaelic football club based in Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland. Famous current players include Colm "Gooch" Cooper and Eoin Brosnan....
and has been a member of the Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
senior inter-county team since 2002. Cooper is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.
Club
Cooper helped Dr. CrokesDr. Crokes
Dr Crokes is a Gaelic football club based in Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland. Famous current players include Colm "Gooch" Cooper and Eoin Brosnan....
win the 2000 Kerry Senior Football Championship, aged just 16. They beat An Ghaeltacht
An Ghaeltacht GAA
An Ghaeltacht is a Gaelic Athletic Association club from County Kerry. The club competes as an individual club in the Kerry Senior Football Championship.-Honours:* Kerry Senior Football Championship Winners: 2001,2003...
in the final.
Crokes reached the Kerry final again in 2005 and 2006, but were defeated on both occasions by South Kerry
South Kerry GAA
South Kerry are a Gaelic football and Hurling Divisional Team in County Kerry.The South Kerry Football Team draws its players from eight Club teams in the Division.These are:* St. Mary's Cahirciveen* Renard* St...
. However, South Kerry are a divisional side and not a club, therefore Crokes qualified to represent the county in the Munster Senior Club Football Championship
Munster Senior Club Football Championship
The Munster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between the hundreds of senior football clubs in Munster. The winners will represent Munster in the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. East Kerry were the first winners of the Munster senior...
. In 2006 Dr. Crokes won the Munster Club Championship, beating The Nire
The Nire-Fourmilewater GAA
The Nire/Fourmilewater GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballymacarbry, County Waterford, Republic of Ireland. The Nire and Fourmilewater are two separate clubs, with separate committees pulling from the same pool of players. The Nire is the football club in the area and...
of Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
in the decider. They advanced to the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their...
after beating Moorefield
Moorefield GAA
- Current panel :Moorefield is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Kildare, Ireland winner of six county senior football championships and three senior hurling championships.-History:...
of Kildare
Kildare GAA
For more information see Kildare Senior Club Football Championship or Kildare Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Kildare GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kildare...
after a replay in the semi-final, and faced Crossmaglen
Crossmaglen Rangers
Crossmaglen Rangers G.A.C is a Gaelic Athletic Association club from Armagh, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. They cater for Gaelic football and camogie. Their home football ground is St. Oliver Plunkett Park which was opened in 1959...
of Armagh
Armagh GAA
The Armagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Armagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Armagh...
in the All-Ireland Club final in March 2007. The game finished in a draw. Crossmaglen won the replay to claim their fourth All-Ireland title. In 2010 Cooper played a vital role in beating Austin Stacks in Tralee in the Championship final finally giving Corkes the title after the 3 losses in finals. Cooper and Crokes were back again in 2011 to win back to Back county titles.
Inter-county
Cooper was first called up to the Kerry Senior team in 2002. After strong performances in the National Football LeagueNational Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
, he continued his rise in that year's Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
, with excellent performances against Wicklow
Wicklow GAA
The Wicklow County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wicklow GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wicklow...
, Kildare
Kildare GAA
For more information see Kildare Senior Club Football Championship or Kildare Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Kildare GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kildare...
, Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
and Cork on route to the All-Ireland final, where they faced Armagh
Armagh GAA
The Armagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Armagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Armagh...
. Armagh defeated Kerry in a close encounter. Cooper was awarded an All Star award
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
for his performances that year.
In 2003 Kerry won the Munster Senior Football Championship
Munster Senior Football Championship
The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months...
, but were knocked out of the All-Ireland Championship by Tyrone
Tyrone GAA
The Tyrone County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Tyrone GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Tyrone. The county board is also responsible for the Tyrone inter-county teams....
at the semi-final.
2004 proved to be a very successful year for Cooper and Kerry. It began with the county winning the 2004 National League, with victory over Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
in the decider. They also defended their Munster title, before going on to win the All-Ireland Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2004
-Leinster Senior Football Championship:---------------------------------------------Ulster Senior Football Championship:-------------------------------------Connacht Senior Football Championship:----------------...
– beating Mayo
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
in the final. Cooper put in another excellent performance in the final, scoring 1–05 including a superb individual goal where he fielded a high ball under pressure before taking on three defenders and slotting it into the Mayo net. He received another All Star and was named Texaco Footballer of the Year
Texaco Footballer of the Year
The Texaco Footballer of the Year is a Gaelic football award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a footballer of outstanding excellence...
.
Kerry won their third consecutive Munster Championship in 2005
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2005
-Leinster Senior Football Championship:-----------------------------------------Ulster Senior Football Championship:-------------------------------------------------Connacht Senior Football Championship:--------...
, beating old rivals Cork in the decider. Kerry once again reached the All-Ireland final, this time against Tyrone. After a bright start, Cooper was injured in a clash with Tyrone goalkeeper Pascal McConnell
Pascal McConnell
Pascal McConnell is an All-Ireland-winning Gaelic footballer for Tyrone. He currently competes with John Devine to be first choice goalkeeper for Tyrone.In 1998, McConnell played alongside Stephen O'Neill in the MacRory Cup semi-final for Omagh CBS....
which limited his involvement. Tyrone won the game 1–16 to 2–10. He did however win a third All Star.
Cooper won a second National League medal with Kerry in 2006, once again beating Galway in the final. In the Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2006
The 2006 Bank of Ireland All-Ireland Senior Football Championship began on Sunday, May 7, 2006. The 2006 championship used the same "Qualifier" system that was used in 2005....
Cork defeated Kerry in the Munster final. Kerry however, did advance to the All-Ireland final, where they once again met Mayo. Kerry won the game by 13 points and Cooper was again one of Kerry's main contributors scoring 1–02. He was the Kerry captain for part of that year, although regular captain Declan O'Sullivan
Declan O'Sullivan
Declan O'Sullivan Declan O'Sullivan Declan O'Sullivan (born 1983 in Cahersiveen, County Kerry is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Dromid Pearses, his divisional side South Kerry and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2003...
was restored as captain for the All-Ireland final. After wining the game, the Sam Maguire Cup
Sam Maguire Cup
The Sam Maguire Cup, often called The Sam , is the name of the cup that is awarded to winners of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
was lifted by both O' Sullivan and Cooper. He was nominated but not selected for an All Star that year.
In 2007 Cooper was instrumental in Kerry regaining their Munster Championship title after an enthralling game against Cork, which Kerry won 1–15 to 1–13. Having been quiet for long spells, he burst into life and in a five minute period scored 1–02. After beating Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
by two points in the semi-final, Kerry progressed to face their bitter rivals Cork in the first ever all-Munster All-Ireland final. Kerry comfortably beat Cork 3–13 to 1–09, to become the first team to retain the title since Cork themselves 17 years before. Cooper got the goal that put Kerry in the driving seat, rising to fist the ball over the onrushing Alan Quirke
Alan Quirke
Alan Quirke is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Valley Rovers and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1999.-Club:...
. Cooper finished the game with 1-05. He received another All Star and was nominated as one of three contenders for 2007 Footballer of the Year. He was also named on the GPA Team of the Year
GPA Gaelic Team of the Year
The GPA Gaelic Team of the Year known for sponsorship reason as The Opel Gaelic Team of the Year awards were an awards ceremony to honour the performances ofGaelic Athletic Association players...
.
Kerry reached the 2008 National League final, but were beaten by Derry
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
. Cork beat Kerry in the 2008
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2008
The 2008 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was that year's Gaelic football championship, having kicked off on May 11 and ended with the All-Ireland Final in Croke Park on September 21...
Munster final. Kerry nevertheless advanced to the All-Ireland final, to face Tyrone for the third time in six years. Tyrone once again came out on top. Cooper did however win a fifth All Star award that year and was once again named on the GPA Team of the Year.
Colm Cooper made a poor start to the 2009 championship in the Munster championship and early qualifier games by his own standards. He and Tomás Ó Sé were dropped from the starting Kerry 15 for the qualifier game against Antrim, due to a breach of team discipline. Cooper came on against Antrim and made an immediate impact notching 4 frees in another unconvincing win for Kerry. Kerry progressed to face Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
in the quarter final and were given little chance of beating a Dublin side after winning their fifth Leinster Championships
Leinster Senior Football Championship
The GAA Leinster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council and are played during the summer months. The competition involves the counties of...
in a row. Dublin had the usual support of a strong Croke Park crowd and media behind them. However, within a minute Cooper had Kerry in front with a finely taken goal. They nullified Dublin's tradition of making a strong start by making a blitzkrieg of their own and were a whopping 1–13 to 0–03 ahead at the break. The game ended with Kerry on top by a 17 point margin and Cooper announcing his return to form with a massive haul of 1–08. Cooper and Kerry brushed Meath aside in a low key semi final before they faced against Cork in the semi final. For the first time in their 6 meetings in Croke Park, the rebels were the punters choice for the victory. Much was made of Anthony Lynch's duel with Cooper as it was felt the Lynch had got the better of "The Gooch" in the seasons earlier meetings. Once again Cooper and Kerry showed their class on the big day. Lynch was booked early on for consistent fouling on Cooper who was the fulcrum of many Kerry attacks. Kerry eventually won a gripping, tough encounter 0-16 to 1-09 giving Cooper his fourth All Ireland Medal at just 26.
In April 2010, Cooper sustained a serious eye injury in a NFL Division 1
National Football League (Ireland) 2010
The 2010 National Football League commenced in February 2010. 33 teams contested it.-Format:The 2010 format of the National Football League is a system of four divisions. The top three consist of eight teams each, and Division 4 contains nine teams. Each team plays each other team in its division...
win over Monaghan
Monaghan GAA
The Monaghan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Monaghan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Monaghan and the Monaghan inter-county football and hurling teams. Separate county boards are responsible for the...
. He torn a duct in one of his eyes: doctors in Kerry expressed concern about his condition. He collided with Monaghan defender Darren Hughes after seven minutes and required treatment on and off the field. However, he returned to the Kerry team for the championship.
International Rules
Cooper has represented IrelandIreland international rules football team
The Ireland International rules football team is the representative team for Ireland in international rules football, a compromise between Gaelic football and Australian rules football...
in the International Rules Series
International Rules Series
The International Rules Series is a senior men's International rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team and the Ireland international rules football team...
.