Mayo native Ruairí Keating returns to Cork City

Cork City yesterday announced the return of fan-favourite striker Ruairí Keating on a multi-year contract after a brief stint with St Patrick’s Athletic.

Keating left Cork last November at the end of a season that saw St Pat’s win the FAI Cup and Cork City relegated. His move to Dublin, however, did not go as planned. Despite finding the net in a victory over Shamrock Rovers, his final appearance for St Pat's came on July 4 in a defeat to Waterford.

Newly appointed St Pat's manager Stephen Kenny opted to leave Keating on the bench for their 3-1 UEFA Conference League win over FC Vaduz, and the club has now mutually agreed to terminate his contract.

Cork City, currently cruising to the First Division title with an impressive 15-point lead and 11 games remaining, are delighted to welcome Keating back. Only last week, Rebels boss Tim Clancy expressed concerns about the inflated wage market for top-flight players, but Keating’s emotional attachment to Cork City proved decisive.

Keating's return to Cork means he will be eligible to face Derry City in the FAI Cup third round on August 23, having not featured in St Pat’s recent cup loss.

During his first spell at Cork City, Keating played a key role in the club’s 2022 League of Ireland First Division title win and subsequent promotion. He scored 13 league goals last season, including a memorable hat-trick against Sligo Rovers at Turner’s Cross.

Expressing his delight at returning to Cork, Keating said, “I genuinely can’t explain how happy I am to be back at City. I absolutely loved my time at the club before, and I am thrilled to be coming back. I just can’t wait to pull on a City jersey and play at Turner’s Cross again in front of the amazing City fans.

This club is very special to me, and I am so happy to be back home. I just want to get back to playing football again. I am looking forward to getting into training tomorrow; we have some big games coming up and I cannot wait to get started.”

Cork City manager Tim Clancy hailed Keating’s return, stating, “It’s brilliant to get Keats signed back with the club. The fans have been brilliant all season, and I know that Keats is a player they have a very special relationship with, so I am sure this signing will give them a lift as well. He had a really successful spell at the club before, and everyone at City knows what he brings to the team.

He’s a quality player, a really good character, and has plenty of experience as well. As we move into the closing stages of this season, with so much still to play for, all of those qualities that he brings will add to the quality we already have within the group.

We have said all along that we don’t just want to bring the right kind of players into the club, but also the right type of people who will help us to build the club back up, and Keats is exactly that.”