Brian Carney was born on 23 July 1976 in Cork, Ireland. He is the son of a father from New York and a mother from Drimoleague, County Cork, and was raised in County Wicklow.

He was educated at Clongowes Wood College before attending University College Dublin, where he studied law. His youth was steeped in Gaelic football and rugby union, and he made his crossing into rugby league after being introduced to the sport at 22 through Brian Corrigan, founder of Ireland’s first amateur rugby league team, the Dublin Blues.

After a playing career spanning rugby league and rugby union, Carney retired from professional rugby in January 2007, citing a wish to finish his legal studies and spend more time with family, before signing briefly with Munster to play rugby union. On returning to Ireland with Munster, he noted he would not be without family, having uncles, aunts, cousins, and a grandmother living in the Cork/Munster area, describing the move as “a sort of homecoming.”

In 2010, Carney became a presenter for Sky Sports’ rugby league coverage. He is also one of the presenters for Sky’s coverage of Gaelic games, which started in June 2014. He has since expanded into presenting and analysis work with the BBC and ITV, including coverage of the British & Irish Lions tour, and remains a regular face of Sky Sports rugby league coverage.