Conan Byrne: President's Cup huge for developing Derry City

As Derry City approached the latter end of last season with an FAI Cup final on the cards, the big question mark over them was whether they could get hold of some silverware to use as a launchpad to challenge more intensely for domestic supremacy in the future.

They answered the first part of that by winning the cup decider emphatically and in a good omen for this coming season, Ruaidhrí Higgins' side defeated reigning SSE Airtricity League three-in-a-row champions Shamrock Rovers 2-0 last Friday in the curtain-raising President's Cup final.

In the recent past, Cork City and the Hoops have made the leap from cup winners to league champions so can Derry follow suit this season?

Former St Patrick's Athletic and Shelbourne midfielder Conan Byrne pondered that question on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast as last season's runners-up gear up for their league opener at Richmond Park on Friday night.

Conan Byrne and former Cork City defender Neal Horgan joined Raf Diallo to preview the Premier and First Division seasons:

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"I think the President's Cup was huge just in terms of that belief," he said on the bumper 2023 season preview.

"Derry were brilliant on the night. I know Shamrock Rovers' team wouldn't have been full-strength but having said that, it's just the way Derry played and the quality on the ball (and) their energy for a pre-season game."

Byrne believes Higgins has done good business in the transfer market with incomings like Adam O'Reilly, Ben Doherty and Ireland Under-21