Miles, doubts, one big day: Conor Brann almost gave up on his career

There are a few players who have seen their stock surge since Ger Nash came in at Cork City, and one of them is undeniably been Conor Brann.

His breakthrough wasn’t immediate. Brann’s first appearance under Nash came in a 3-1 defeat to Shelbourne, in July. His first win – and clean sheet – arrived in his third appearance, against his boyhood club Galway United. Since then, he has settled into the starting spot and shown little interest in handing it back.

But the road to that starting jersey ran close to a dead end. Only a year ago, Brann was contemplating stepping away from football entirely.

“I left Swindon when my contract was up in April,” Brann begins. “And then my agent contacted Anthony Fennelly, who was here at the time, and he got me in training in August. And then obviously I had to see what the decision was, if they wanted to sign me or not.” 

The limbo stretched on, and on. From August to December – Brann was going from Galway to Cork on the regular, with no wages to bring home. And it was incredibly tough.

“I wanted to give up, to be honest,” he admits. “I was kind of fed up with driving up and down to Cork and I didn't know if they wanted to sign me. It's tough mentally I was kind of fed up, but Dad obviously said to me to keep going.” 

The voice that kept him going belonged to his father Pat, a former Irish Army man who spent long spells in Lebanon and knew a thing or two about endurance.

“That's why I did it, because he kept saying to me; ‘all the driving you've done when you were younger, going to Athlone, Limerick, Galway, going up to Dublin for training’, he said, ‘you can't just give it in now, just keep going and see what happens’.

“Thankfully, I've done that and a year later I'm playing in the cup final.” 

Persistence earned a contract in December, then a debut, then trust. Now he’s one of 17 locked in for 2026 – and his parents, Pat and Angela, will be in the Aviva on Sunday to watch their son play on the biggest stage in Irish football.

“He'd be more nervous than me, I think!” Brann says. “So would mom, they'd both probably be crying.

“It's going to be nice, especially when you're standing in front of all the fans and you see them, it's why you do it, for your family.” 

Across 11 league starts he has been steady, confident and brave. On Sunday, he will need to be all of that and more. Then again, performing in one game, for 90 minutes, likely doesn’t compare to grind that got him here.