Ciaran Kelly
Goalkeeper- Height 188 cm
- Age 44 years, 1 month
- Place of Birth Mayo
- Nationality Republic of Ireland
- Stats based on games populated in our system. They can be viewed below
Ciaran’s Biography
Ciaran began his football career at Ballinrobe Town and was signed by then Sligo Rovers manager Don O'Riordain at the start of the 2002/03 season. He spent two years at The Showgrounds, making 48 league appearances before moving to Derry City in January 2004. However, the travelling became problematic and Ciaran made just 8 league appearances for the Candystripes before being released by Derry's new manager Stephen Kenny at the end of that season.
Galway United were next on Ciaran's list of employers, signing at Terryland Park at the start of 2005. But he could not displace first choice 'keeper, Alan Gough, and quit football altogether half way through the '05 season without having made a league appearance for the club. In 2006 he was tempted back between the posts at Castlebar Celtic and his displays earned him another pop at League football when he signed for Michael O'Connor at Athlone Town in January 2007, making 43 league appearances over the next two seasons.
Ciaran returned for a second spell at Sligo Rovers in 2009 and, though he played just 6 league games that year, he did play in the '09 FAI Cup final when Sligo were beaten by Sporting Fingal. Just 9 league appearances followed in 2010, but once again Ciaran played in the FAI Cup final, saving all four of Shamrock Rovers' spot kicks as Sligo won out in a penalty shootout.
2011 saw a familiar pattern as Ciaran played in just 5 of Sligo's league games. Remarkably, the club reached a third successive FAI Cup final and, although Ciaran started the game against Shelbourne on the bench, he was substituted on in the 119th minute to take part in the penalty shootout. Once again Ciaran was the hero, saving two of Shelbourne's efforts as Sligo won their second successive FAI Cup.
Ciaran's only league action in 2012 was as bench cover on two occasion and in 2013 he added just 1 league appearance to his career tally, though he did also pick up a third FAI Cup winner's medal as an unused substitute for the win against Drogheda United in the final at the Aviva Stadium.
Ciaran became the goalkeeping coach at Sligo Rovers after retiring at the end of the 2013 season although he returned to the bench as cover multiple times during the 2015 season. He left the club at the end of the season to become manager of Castlebar Celtic in November 2015.
Photo by Michael Melly
Galway United were next on Ciaran's list of employers, signing at Terryland Park at the start of 2005. But he could not displace first choice 'keeper, Alan Gough, and quit football altogether half way through the '05 season without having made a league appearance for the club. In 2006 he was tempted back between the posts at Castlebar Celtic and his displays earned him another pop at League football when he signed for Michael O'Connor at Athlone Town in January 2007, making 43 league appearances over the next two seasons.
Ciaran returned for a second spell at Sligo Rovers in 2009 and, though he played just 6 league games that year, he did play in the '09 FAI Cup final when Sligo were beaten by Sporting Fingal. Just 9 league appearances followed in 2010, but once again Ciaran played in the FAI Cup final, saving all four of Shamrock Rovers' spot kicks as Sligo won out in a penalty shootout.
2011 saw a familiar pattern as Ciaran played in just 5 of Sligo's league games. Remarkably, the club reached a third successive FAI Cup final and, although Ciaran started the game against Shelbourne on the bench, he was substituted on in the 119th minute to take part in the penalty shootout. Once again Ciaran was the hero, saving two of Shelbourne's efforts as Sligo won their second successive FAI Cup.
Ciaran's only league action in 2012 was as bench cover on two occasion and in 2013 he added just 1 league appearance to his career tally, though he did also pick up a third FAI Cup winner's medal as an unused substitute for the win against Drogheda United in the final at the Aviva Stadium.
Ciaran became the goalkeeping coach at Sligo Rovers after retiring at the end of the 2013 season although he returned to the bench as cover multiple times during the 2015 season. He left the club at the end of the season to become manager of Castlebar Celtic in November 2015.
Photo by Michael Melly
