Fiacre Kelleher 'fully committed' to Cork City as rebuild for next season begins

City look set to lose Alex Nolan to Sligo Rovers while Evan McLaughlin is attracting interest from a number of clubs including Derry City.

FULLY COMMITTED: Shamrock Rovers’ Roberto Lopes with Cork City's Fiacre Kelleher. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon.

Fiacre Kelleher insists he remains committed to Cork City and is hopeful the club will retain its “good core group of players” as they bid to secure an instant return to the Premier Division in 2026.

City’s miserable season was compounded by their spirited defeat to Shamrock Rovers in the FAI Cup Final on Sunday just a few weeks after their third relegation in six years was confirmed.

The 29-year-old defender joined the Rebel Army on a long-term contract back in June after spending almost 10 years in the United Kingdom and speaking after their loss to Rovers, the City captain admitted his focus is on helping the Leesiders bounce back.

“I made a decision to come back when I did, and that decision was to stay here,” insisted Kelleher.

“I want to be a part of this club. I want to leave it in a better place than when I found it. That's going to be the aim for me now and for the rest of however long I'm contracted. That’s my aim, so I'm fully committed to being here.

“I hope and pray that we can keep this group together and keep all the ones that want to be here. I know that'll be up to Ger (Nash), David (Meyler), and Dermot (Usher) now.

“We have a very good core group of players there and injuries have played their part this season.

“That core group has never gotten much of a run together. If we're looking at a rebuild next season, there’s a lot of lads who are of a good age and have played a lot of minutes now.

“All those things are going to stand to us. We just have to make sure that now we capitalise, and we make sure that we tie fellas down to contracts. We're gonna have to pick ourselves up and go again.”

City had been more than holding their own against Rovers in the showpiece occasion until Harry Nevin’s red card late in the first half helped swing the clash in the champions’ favour.

And Kelleher admitted his side can have no complaints over the decision.

“When you slow the image down, Harry has not meant to, but he's come over the ball and caught him on the shin,” he continued.

“Nowadays, when you go lunging in like that, you have to make sure that you come out with the ball or otherwise you're in trouble. No complaints really with that.

“Sending offs change games and that's what happened. Up until 40 minutes, we were matching them. We looked dangerous on the counter, and the game plan was working.

“With the sending off, we have to change personnel, change shape, and against the best team in the league, it's difficult to come back from there.

“Even in the second half, Freddie Anderson has a great header that the keeper, again, has pulled off a wonderful save. They're the fine margins. We conceded a messy goal and it's a tough one to take.”

A victory at the Aviva Stadium would have also secured City a return to the Europa League in 2026, with the prize money on offer helping with their rebuild and with retaining their key players Kelleher referred to previously.

The club could’ve secured approximately €700,000 which manager Ger Nash, who looks set to lose Alex Nolan to Sligo Rovers while Evan McLaughlin is attracting interest from a number of clubs including Derry City, believes would've been a significant help.

“It would have been fantastic for the club, it wasn't to be,” added Nash.

“The club has been back to the situation (relegation) a number of times, too many times in the last half a dozen years.

“I think we have to be smart about how we try to grow the club. Some of our best players are coming out of contract or have got shorter deals.

“It's probably easy to re-sign players if you're in Europe, that's for sure, so it's difficult.”