Derry City win FAI Cup as Connolly prepares to resume director role

Derry City beat Waterford 1-0 to win the FAI Cup, securing European football for next season and ending Mark Connolly's interim spell with a trophy. According to BBC Sport NI, the victory on Sunday was the club's first silverware since its 2022 cup success, following a league campaign that ended with a fifth-place finish.

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Connolly, 34, took charge in August after Tiernan Lynch's departure, moving from his role as director of football into his first managerial job. He inherited a team struggling for consistency and confidence. The appointment also marked a rapid change in his own career: in May, he had been an unused substitute when Coleraine won the Irish Cup, before taking responsibility for Derry from the touchline later in the year.

Expectations had been high before Derry's 2026 season. In Lynch's first campaign, the team had finished only three points behind the league leaders and qualified for Europe. That progress did not translate into a sustained challenge this year, with a seven-match winless sequence leaving Derry near the foot of the table. Connolly subsequently helped stabilise their league results before the cup final provided a route back into European competition.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI, Connolly said restoring the connection between the team and its supporters had been a major part of the job. He acknowledged that fans had grounds for dissatisfaction and said bringing the club together was the achievement that gave him the greatest pride. He nevertheless stressed that the process was unfinished, even as he urged supporters to take pride in the players after their cup success.

The trophy gives Connolly a second FAI Cup winners' medal, having played in Derry's 4-0 final victory over Shelbourne in 2022. He cautioned against treating the latest success as a guarantee of a league title next season. Derry have not won the Premier Division since 1997, while Shamrock Rovers have taken six of the past seven titles. Connolly said the longer-term goal should be a club capable of competing for championships repeatedly, rather than winning once.

Connolly is due to resume his director of football duties as Derry continue looking for a permanent manager. He has not committed to seeking another managerial post, explaining that the experience had increased his respect for the demands of the role. He also credited the staff working alongside him and said further conversations would take place during the week.