Faherty returns to Galway United as Connolly appointed new skipper

GALWAY United will have a new captain for the 2016 season after it was announced that Ryan Connolly will take over the armband from Paul Sinnott.

Sinnott (29) has re-signed with the club for next season, but the decision has been taken to pass the baton on to Connolly as Tommy Dunne continues to build his squad for the new campaign.

Dunne has paid tribute to the Renmore native, who lead the club to promotion in his first season as captain in 2014; and then to the club’s first domestic cup final appearance in almost two decades, the EA Sports Cup final, in 2015.

“His contribution has been massive since my arrival at the club and I’m pleased that he has signed a new contract with the club. Paul has been a mainstay in our line-up and he is a very important cog in our squad going forward. He’s another experienced player that is vital to have in the dressing room,” said Dunne of a player that featured in 34 of United’s 40 league and cup games in 2015.

Another clutch of players that featured for United in 2015 have put pen-to-paper with the club in the past week, while another is rejoining the club for a third spell: Vinny Faherty (28) is coming back to Eamonn Deacy Park on a two-year contract, having spent the 2015 season with Limerick.

“I’m a Galway lad, it’s always nice to return home and I see myself in Galway long-term. It was tough to leave Limerick. I was happy with my goal return in 2015, particularly because I only really started playing as a number nine with 13 or 14 games left, and I plan on carrying that form through with Galway United in 2016,” he said.

Faherty made 34 league and cup appearances for United in 2014 before moving to Limerick FC where he scored 12 goals in 28 league appearances, and his return will soften the blow of losing Jake Keegan to Canadian side FC Edmonton – Keegan was one of only two United players to feature in every league game in 2015, the other being Gary Shanahan.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.