Academy product Conor Barr commits future to Derry City with new two-year deal

20-year-old Conor Barr, a product of the Derry’s Academy, has officially penned a new two-year contract, securing his future with the Candystripes until the end of the 2027 season following valuable loan spells with Cliftonville and Ballymena United.

Barr returns to the Brandywell following a successful loan spell with Cliftonville during the first half of the 2025/26 campaign. He made 13 appearances for the Reds, gaining vital senior experience before being recalled by manager Tiernan Lynch for the new season.

Speaking after putting pen to paper, an enthusiastic Barr commented:  “I’m buzzing to get it done now,” Barr said. “Once I heard it, I just wanted to get it done as quick as I can. Especially as a local lad, remembering going to games as a kid, it definitely means that much more.”

Barr’s time away on loan, including a stint at Ballymena United in early 2025, has left him hungry to succeed.

“I just [wanted to] get the senior games under the belt and come back with fire in the belly now to get in the team and try and cement a place,” he added. “It’s a big squad… there’s competition everywhere you look, but that’s what needs to be if you want to challenge for leagues.”

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Manager Tiernan Lynch has welcomed Barr back into the fold, stressing the importance of the senior minutes he has gained as the team begins its pre-season schedule, which included a friendly on Friday against Sligo Rovers.

“We obviously put Connor out on loan the last two windows to try and get him some senior games and some senior minutes,” Lynch explained. “We’ve brought him back into the building now and hopefully we can help him kick on.”

Derry City began their pre-season preparations with a single goal defeat on Friday in a friendly match against Sligo Rovers in Dungannon, utilising numerous youth players across two different lineups. The squad’s next friendly is away to Finn Harps next weekend, before the squad go for a training camp in Spain.