Finn Harps wish to confirm that Ciaran O’Connor has signed from Dundalk ahead of the new League of Ireland First Division season. It will be the 21-year-old striker’s second spell at Finn Park having played under Ollie Horgan in the first half of the 2017 campaign after coming on loan from Dundalk. O’Connor left at the beginning of July to go on loan to Bohemians having scored five times in 14 games with Harps.
Harps boss Horgan said the Dundalk native’s decision to return for a second spell at the club was a very positive development adding that he was pleased to have got in a striker with Premier Division experience. “Ciaran played for us in the first half of last season and got five goals. We’re pleased that he has agreed terms for next season. He’s still only 21 but has gained a lot of experience over the past four years in the League of Ireland so hopefully that will be a big help to Ciaran and ourselves in terms of the standard of teams we well be up against in the First Division” Horgan said.

O’Connor came through the underage ranks at Dundalk and became part of the first team in 2013, scoring in a friendly against Glentoran in June of that year. Weeks later he signed an 18-month professional contract with the club and made his first team competitive debut in a Leinster Senior Cup tie against Shamrock Rovers. Ciaran was part of Dundalk’s U19 squad for their 2013/2014 season and remained part of the club’s first team squad in 2014.

His first team outings were limited to Cup competition in 2014 before joining Warrenpoint Town FC on loan where the striker scored five goals in 17 appearances. O’Connor returned to Dundalk for the 2015 season. He scored his first senior goal, in a Leinster Senior Cup win away to Wexford Youths. Ciaran was also on the mark twice from four appearances in cup competitions before going on loan to Derry City in July of that season.

O’Connor scored three goals in 10 league appearances for Derry and returned to Dundalk making his league debut, away to Longford Town in early April. By the end of the season O’Connor had made five league appearances with the Lilywhites when they won their third league title in a row. The Dundalk native joined Harps on a six-month loan deal last January.