Owens had his first Gaelic games success as a student at the Carmelite College in Moate. During his time there, he was part of the college's senior football team and won three successive Leinster Colleges SFC medals. Owens also won a Hogan Cup medal after a defeat of St Jarlath's College in 1976.[2]
At club level, Owens began his career at juvenile and underage levels with Na Piarsaigh before progressing to adult level with Killoughey. He won Offaly IHC title in 1980 and 1984.[3] Owens ended his club career with the newly-amalgamated Kilcormac–Killoughey club.
Owens first became involved in inter-county management when he was ratified as Offaly's under-21 team manager in November 1997. He took charge of the Offaly minor hurling team in October 2001. At club level, Owens took charge of the Kilcormac–Killoughey club and guided them to three successive Offaly SHC titles between 2012 and 2014. The club also claimed the Leinster Club SHC title in 2012, before losing the 2013 All-Ireland club final to St Thomas's.[6][7]
After stepping down from this role, Owens was appointed Westmeath's minor hurling team manager in December 2015.[8] After one season with Westmeath, he returned to club activity as Tullamore manager, before steering Camross to the Laois SHC title in 2018.[9][10] Owens returned to as manager of his home club of Kilcormac–Killoughey in 2019.[11]
Political career
Owens was elected to Offaly County Council as a Fianna Fáil councillor for the Tullamore area at the 2004 local elections. He was re-elected at three subsequent elections before announcing his retirement from politics in December 2023, when he also confirmed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.[12][13]