New Derry City Manager Tiernan Lynch Targets Club Dominance

Tiernan Lynch, the newly appointed manager of Derry City, has signed a three-year contract. His appointment follows Ruaidhri Higgins’ departure on Friday. Lynch stated that his objective is to establish the Candystripes as “the biggest club on the island of Ireland”. During his official unveiling as Ruaidhri Higgins’ replacement, after Higgins’ departure from Irish League champions Larne, Lynch described his decision to join the Brandywell club as “a very quick decision”. At a news conference, Lynch declared, “I wouldn’t have taken the job, if I didn’t fully believe this club had the potential to be the biggest club on the island of Ireland. Our job on a daily basis now is to try and bring that out.” He further commented, “There wasn’t too much to think about. I’m well aware of how big this football club is and the challenge that lies ahead.” Lynch, who is joined at the Brandywell by his brother Seamus, his former assistant at Larne, has signed a three-year deal with the Candystripes. This appointment comes less than two months after he declined an offer to manage Scottish Premiership club St Johnstone. Lynch stated, “I was fortunate to get a job offer back in October from the Scottish Premiership which I turned down but when I had the conversation with Derry it was a no-brainer.” He added, “The challenge here is definitely one that will be very rewarding. I understand there’s a lot of work to go on here on and off the pitch. We’ve been fortunate enough to do that at Larne and it’s definitely something we feel we can bring to Derry City.” Sean Barrett, Derry City’s chief executive, revealed that Lynch rapidly became the club’s “number one target” after Higgins’ departure. The Candystripes CEO recounted, “I made a call to Kenny Bruce [Larne owner] to see if there was any chance of speaking to Tiernan. He laughed and said ‘you know what? I was waiting on this call’.” Barrett continued, “It’s fabulous for the club and the city. The ambitions that we have completely fulfil his ambitions so I think it’s a great match for the club.” Barrett further noted that beyond Lynch’s accomplishments at Larne, which included winning consecutive Irish Premiership titles in the last two seasons, he was particularly impressed by the manager’s efforts in developing “state of the art” training facilities at the Inver Park club. Barrett elaborated, “The energy, drive and ambition that man has. Once I sat down and talked to him…..within minutes [I knew he was the right man]…..the presentation was incredibly professional. “Everything about that man oozed professionalism and it’s exactly what we need at this club,” He also made sure to acknowledge Higgins’ contributions to Derry City. Barrett confirmed that the Derry board had “backed Ruaidhri Higgins financially and we will back this man”. The Candystripes chief executive outlined the club’s goals, stating, “Our endeavour is to get better facilities, win league titles and compete at the group stages in Europe.” Lynch’s first priority will involve discussions with several players whose contracts are expiring, including goalkeeper Brian Maher. Derry’s squad has already seen a reduction in numbers over the last week with the departures of Patrick and Shane McEleney, as well as Colm Whelan. Lynch further commented, “There will be bumps along the way but as long as we stay together as a collective, I think the fans will see very quickly that we’re hugely committed, that they will get 100% in everything that we do,” He continued, “There will be no players that go on that pitch that aren’t committed to Derry City Football Club and don’t take pride in the badge. As long as they see that we’re prepared to do that, I’m hoping they get behind us.” Lynch also mentioned that the potential for establishing educational links in a university town like Derry influenced his decision to accept the Candystripes role. He explained, “You’re not coming in just to build a first team. You’re coming in to try and develop a whole club, a whole community and whole footballing city.” The new Derry City manager expressed his hope that the Brandywell pitch could be converted back to a natural grass surface “sooner rather than later.” He also conveyed his enthusiasm for working in a league that operates on a calendar-year basis with summer football, stating, “I have been crying out for a summer league in the NIFL Premiership for many years.” He elaborated on the benefits, saying, “I think this gives you a real advantage going into Europe having competitive games under your belt. And from a coaching perspective and from a player’s perspective, better pitches and better weather. I’m really looking forward to summer mornings and summer evenings, coaching in shorts and tee-shirts rather than hoodies and snoods.” Lynch also conveyed his preference, mirroring that of his predecessor Higgins, for the Brandywell pitch to revert to a natural grass surface instead of the current artificial one, which has drawn criticism due to player injuries. He explained, “Any footballer will tell right across the whole world that the natural grass and the natural surface is definitely easier to play on, less injuries, a truer run of the ball so it’s definitely something the club will want to strive to put in and hopefully it happens sooner rather than later.” When questioned about the expectations for immediate success at a club that has not secured a League of Ireland title since 1997, Lynch responded that he was “under no illusion that you’ve got to win football games to keep your job”. Lynch spent more than five years at Larne, during which time the club won the Irish Premiership title. He is presumably aware that Derry City has appointed five different managers in the last ten years.