Ryan Curran hoping for Windsor 'fairytale'

Ryan Curran is hoping that Saturday’s Irish Cup final proves to have a fairytale ending after a challenging two years in which he almost gave up on football entirely.

No-one involved with the 2024 Irish Cup final will ever forget the closing scenes of a dramatic game in which former Derry City striker Ronan Hale raced away across the length of the pitch deep into extra time to roll the ball into an empty net, sealing victory over Linfield and a first Irish Cup for the club in close to 50 years. Ryan was there in person, right amongst the celebrations for arguably the club’s most historic moment ever.

“I was there and actually ended up running onto the pitch,” Curran recalled. “It was an iconic moment. I’ve probably seen that clip hundreds of times since last year and it’s probably been used as one of the clips for the cup final this year’ it will be used for years to come because it was so long since Cliftonville had won the cup, 45 years, so it was just so emotional.

"I remember running over to Ronan Hale when he scored and he was shouting “We’ve finally done it”, and he was only at the club for a year or two and he immersed himself in it. He was a local boy from the area, him and Rory are both and bred Cliftonville men and it meant so much to them. It was a brilliant day and hopefully we can recreate something like that this year.”

As memorable as the victory was, it was also painfully bittersweet for Ryan, who played no part, having battled for close to two seasons with a groin problem, which, at one point, he thought would end his career prematurely.

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“Leading up to it, you know it’s going to be a hard day for you because you’re missing put on an Irish Cup final, especially given what it meant to the club. For other clubs, it might not mean as much with the league title more important, but it was the Holy Grail for Cliftonville fans and you kind of become immersed in that, having been at the club six years at that point. Funnily enough, on the day of the final itself, you just become a Cliftonville fan there and then, and you just get into the rhythm of the game and you forget all about being a player.

“We were 1-0 down and hoping to get back into it and when we did and Ronan scored that goal, you are just overjoyed and have that emotion, which is why I ran onto the pitch. But when the dust settled and I saw everyone celebrating with medals, part of you thinks you missed out on something and there’s a sadness for what could have been. But luckily enough we got back to the final this year again, so hopefully we can go and do it again and I can have some memories for myself.”

For Curran and his team mates, a relatively disappointing league campaign has been quickly forgotten as the day of the cup final has gotten closer.

“It’s probably been the case since we won the semi-final that we’ve been building up to it. We just wanted to get our league games out of the way, and finish seventh if possible. It has ben all roads to the final and making sure we keep everyone fit. Collectively, everyone is geared towards it and individually, I have been pinpointing it since we won the semi-final.

"We were lucky enough to play in the League Cup final earlier this season, and these games stand you in good stead and younger players in the team who may not have experienced that, hopefully it will give us some sort of advantage on the day.”

Ryan Curran is hoping to play a significant part in this weekend’s Irish Cup final, having missed out in 2024.

If manager Jim Magilton was to pick this weekend’s team based on hunger, Ryan’s would surely be the first name on his list, given his desperation to get his hands on his own medal.

“It would be a bit of a fairytale,” he acknowledged. “I didn’t think in my wildest dreams last year that I would be back in this situation. Rory Hale funnily enough said to me on my wedding day that we’ll win it again next year, and he hasn’t stopped reminding me of that sine we won the semi-final. It is probably a bit of a dream to come around so quickly after my injury. To be brutally honest, I probably wasn’t expecting to play again in any capacity, never mind play in an Irish Cup final in front of a full house. It’s brilliant and it’s great to be there and to go and win it, will be even more special.”

Derry City fans will still remember Ryan well, starting out as a young striker under Stephen Kenny back in 2011. He spent four years at the Brandywell before moving on to find first team football at Finn Harps, Ballinamallard and finally Cliftonville, where he has been since 2018. After seven years at the club, it seems that Solitude has become his footballing home.

“I think that’s fair to say,” he agreed. “I obviously had the spell at Derry City when I was younger and that was always my hometown club, and I went to watch Derry growing up, but I think now, living in Belfast, and having been involved with Cliftonville for seven years and having been involved in the community around the club, it would be my home club now and I will always follow them from afar.”

Ryan began his career at Derry City. Photo: Oliver McVeigh / Sportsfile

Saturday could yet prove to be Ryan’s last game with Cliftonville with his contract set to expire afterwards, but whatever happens with his future in the short-term, he wants to be remembered as an Irish Cup winner in the longer-term.

“It’s up in the air, but all being well we can get something agreed,” he said. “But that couldn’t be any further from my mind at the minute. Saturday’s the biggest game of my career and if I was to win that and never kick a ball for Cliftonville again, I think I would be happy enough. With next year and beyond, nothing is concerning me at the minute, and to have this opportunity to play in the cup final, is more than enough for me.”