Cork City have eight players on the PFA First Division Team of the Year

Eight Cork City players have been named in the PFA Ireland Men's First Division Team of the Year as voted for by the players.

Conor Brann, Fiacre Kelleher, Charlie Lyons, Conor Drinan, Cillian Murphy, Hans Mpongo, Ruairi Keating, and Sean Maguire have all been selected.

Bray Wanderers duo Alain Kizenga and Ben McCormack and Louis Dignam of UCD complete the set.

This follows a dominant season for Cork City that saw the club win the First Division at a canter, with promotion mathematically secured at the beginning of September.

The Rebel Army meant business from Day One with nine victories and two draws recorded in their opening 11 games, a platform they used to hold all opposition at arm’s length for the duration of the season.

Barry Robson’s side finished the campaign with 75 points collected – from 23 wins, six draws, and seven defeats.

The strike force of Mpongo, Keating, and Maguire were the difference as they registered 51 goals between them last season.

Maguire got the Golden Boot with 19 tallied, Keating was one behind his partner, and Mpongo registered 14.

The PFA Ireland Men's First Division Team of the Year award is Murphy’s third for the season and it follows the teenager being voted Cork City’s Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season.

The Limerick native exploded onto the first team this year after impressing with the U17s, where he tallied nine goals and 18 assists in 2025. Murphy stepped up to senior football in 2026 and contributed six goals and three assists to the cause for Cork City.

Defence members Kelleher, Lyons, and Drinan were also named on the PFA Ireland Men's First Division Team of the Year. 

They conceded just 35 goals this season, as City stormed to the league title and promotion.

Lyons will not be at the club next season as he confirmed he has left Turner’s Cross on social media.

Drinan will be at City for 2027, as the defender signed a new contract with the club during the summer.

Brann missed just two games all season, against Longford Town and Athlone Town when the league was already won. 

The goalkeeper has been a mainstay in the team after the departure of Tein Troost, with his run in between the sticks crucial to the club’s league title success in 2026 and run to the 2025 FAI Cup final.

Cork City are now building for 2027 as the club looks to break their current cycle of promotion and relegation.

A number of new players have signed new deals, with Darragh Crowley one of the most recent names to commit to a new deal.

The academy graduate from Kinsale has featured over 170 times for the first team since making his debut in 2019. 

He played 35 games in 2026 and scored three goals as he celebrated a third First Division winners medal.