Cian Lynch determined to make Finn Harps adventure work

Cian Lynch - at just 24 years of age - has already packed a lifetime’s worth of experience into his short footballing career. 

The Dubliner spent the best part of the last five years dotted around Canada and the US with spells enjoyed at exotic sounding outposts like the Lakeland Tropics, Erie Commodores, Calgary Foothills and Little Rock Rangers. 

The former Cabinteely man said flying the nest back home at such a young age forced him to grow up pretty quickly. It’s obvious in conversation that experience, both on and off the pitch, has left a pretty mature head on what are still young enough shoulders. 

“Yeah - I spent five years over there,” he said.”I went over in 2017, came back for a few months, but went back out to Canada for another few years after. It was an amazing experience. 

“The football part of it was great, playing with lads from different countries and different backgrounds. Even off the pitch, the biggest part of it all, for me, was the life experience aspect. 

“I went away to America at 18. You have to grow up fast. And it made me mature quite quickly. I changed a lot, it helped me grow into the person I feel I am now”.

Lynch says his initial conversations with Harps boss Dave Rogers were positive and concrete. Rogers’ plans for the Ballybofey outfit are long haul ones, that was made clear. 

So when an agreement was reached, it was reached on a two-year deal. Lynch’s age profile and the road already behind him means he fits the manager’s profile perfectly. 

“I’ve just turned 24. I look around the dressing room and I probably am one of the more older lads. There is a real youthful element to it. But it was similar enough in Canada and America. 

“It’s a young side at Harps but within all of that there is real quality and maturity. Look at Daithi McCallion at the back. He’s only 17. But you listen to him on a football pitch and he’s directing things like a seasoned pro. 

“For a lot of the lads, it’s not just their first time in the league, it’s their first time in a first team. 

“So this is a brilliant opportunity for everyone to sort of accelerate their learning curve. With so many new players on board, the advantage to that is there is no real pecking order. 

“So we’re all growing into this together. Everyone is wanting this to gel as quickly as possible. And I’ve no doubt we’ll get there”. 

Four games in and Harps have two points on the board, courtesy of two opening losses and two subsequent back to back draws. There is no doubt small but progressive steps are being made by the side. 

Lynch has been brought in to add goals to the mix. In Friday night’s 0-0 draw with Wexford, you could see moments where the team, going forward, were perhaps just one advanced pass away from opening up the visiting defence. 

There perhaps still is a nervousness or cautiousness there to lift the head at those vital moments and that is completely understandable, considering how quickly they, as a group, have been assembled. 

“It’s so early on in the season,” Lynch says on that front. “Defensively, I think you can see what we’re working on coming together. But we also know the quality we’ve got going forward. We see it in training - we are creating those quality opportunities.  

“We just need that wee bit of luck. We’re not overly concerned. We know it’s going to happen for us really soon. Once it does we’ll be up and running”.

Lynch fields this call just after coming in off the training pitch on a miserable looking Wednesday afternoon. He’s drenched to the skin but he’s not complaining. Pressed on his weekly schedule, he doubts if there is a harder working First Division outfit out there. 

“It’s the part that people mightn’t really appreciate. It’s full on and really professional. We’re in six days a week. We were back in at 8.30am on Saturday after Wexford. I got back to Letterkenny the night before after midnight. 

“Murph and Dave reiterate that all the time - people don’t see the sacrifices and long hours we’re putting into this. I think the fans get it. They were brilliant again on Friday night. 

“And I know they’ll stick with us. And we’ll reward that patience, I‘ve no doubt about that. It’s a long season. We still have 32 more games ahead of us. We certainly aren’t panicking”.

Ahead of Saturday's trip to Longford, Lynch admits that it’s one he’s particularly looking forward to. 

“I’d probably make it back home from Longford in under an hour. So I think a lot of my family will come in to see the game. In fairness to my dad, he’s been to see all my games so far this season. 

“So this one, right on his doorstep, he’ll not be missing that. The whole family, cousins, uncles and aunts; I’d say the entire away section will be made up by a lot of my family on Saturday”.

There is no doubt then so that Lynch will know which part of Bishopsgate to run to if he manages to get on the scoresheet at the weekend! 

“It would be the ideal time for me to net my first goal, without a doubt. It would be lovely. Longford, they have had a similar enough start to ourselves. 

“They’ll not make it easy. But goals are like buses. You wait for just one to come along and when it does, they all seem to come at once then”!