Derry City claimed their seventh FAI Cup title with a 1–0 victory over Waterford at the Aviva Stadium, with Darragh Burns scoring the decisive goal in the 69th minute. According to BBC Sport, the 24-year-old's low drive proved enough to secure silverware for the Candystripes in a closely contested final. The result also secures Derry's place in the Europa League group stage for the 2027–28 season.
Burns, who arrived at the club in July, had been waiting for his first goal in a Derry shirt. He was on the verge of being substituted when he struck, turning the match decisively in his side's favour with a composed finish.
I saw the substitutions getting going and I said to myself 'please just produce something' and it went in the back of the net so I'm over the moon,Burns told BBC Sport NI's Odhran Crumley after the match.
It took me longer than I expected to score my first goal, but nowhere better to get it than at the Aviva in the cup final. I dreamt of it last night and it's come true today.
The forward described his winning moment in detail, explaining how a simple piece of skill unlocked the deadlock.
I hadn't had a shot yet in the game, just checked in on left, fake shot, went again and it hit the net,he said.
Burns acknowledged the challenging circumstances surrounding Derry's season but expressed satisfaction with how the campaign concluded.
It's been a difficult year for the club, but we would have taken your hand off for this at the start of the season, so delighted,he added.
What made the final significant for Derry?
The victory represents a remarkable turnaround for a club that endured a turbulent campaign in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Derry finished fifth in the league after manager Tiernan Lynch departed in August, leaving the team to rebuild under interim leadership. The FAI Cup triumph provides the club with a platform to enter the new year with renewed confidence and European football on the horizon.
Captain Duffy's emotional triumph
Candystripes captain Michael Duffy, who has now won the FAI Cup five times—twice with Dundalk and three times with his hometown club—described the victory as the pinnacle of his football career.
That tops it off for me, it's the best feeling I've had in football,he said.
Duffy revealed the emotional impact of captaining Derry to silverware for the first time.
The final whistle got me big time, I didn't know what to do or where to go. Just so, so happy getting my hands on that trophy. I've been thinking about it for the last week to be honest, so unbelievable feeling, something I'll never forget,he explained.
Despite acknowledging that Derry
weren't good enoughduring the opening half of the season, Duffy praised the squad's ability to regroup and finish on a high.
Mark [Connolly] has been brilliant for us and we knew we could make this happen and we went and done that. We go into next year on a massive high,he said.
How significant was this final?
According to the Irish News, the final attracted an attendance of 36,093 spectators at the Aviva Stadium. Derry centre-back Patrick McClean was named man of the match for his commanding defensive display throughout the contest.
For Waterford, the final represented their first appearance in the competition's showpiece since 2004. According to BBC Sport, the Blues were seeking their first FAI Cup victory since 1980, but Burns' decisive strike prevented them from ending their 44-year wait for the trophy.
Duffy reflected on the broader implications of the triumph for Derry's future direction.
I didn't even think about that [Europa League] but it's another plus and the club is going in the right direction with a lot of exciting things,he concluded.
