Mervue Utd have confirmed that defenders Damien O’Rourke and Kenny Farrell have re-signed for the new season which kicks off with a home tie against Longford Town at Fahy’s Field on Friday 2nd March.

Both players return for a fourth season with the club, while both also had their campaigns in 2011 restricted by long term injuries. O’Rourke managed just five appearances at the end of last season as he recovered from an Achilles injury, scoring on his return away to Longford Town in a 2-2 draw. O’Rourke has made 35 appearances in total for the club, scoring three goals along the way, while he also previously played with Cork City.

Left full Farrell also re-signs for fourth season at Fahy’s Field having made his League of Ireland debut back in the club’s debut season of 2009 in that very first Mervue team to play in the league in a 1-0 defeat to Athlone Town in March 2009. He went on to make 15 appearances in that season and also made a further 15 appearances in the 2010 season before suffering a cruciate ligament injury in a summer friendly against Port Vale missing the remainder of the season and most of 2011.

He made his successful return from that injury last September in that 2-2 draw with Longford in Flancare Park, which also marked O’Rourke’s return. He made a further five appearances before the season finished.

Both signings bring manager Johnny Glynn’s squad to sixteen as he assembles his side which kick-off their warm-up games with a friendly away to Premier Division Champions, Shamrock Rovers, at Tallaght Stadium next Saturday afternoon with a 5 p.m. kick-off.