Waterford FC are excited to announce the signing of Cian Barrett on a season-long loan from Shamrock Rovers FC.
The versatile 20 year-old makes the move to the RSC ahead of the start of the 2026 SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division, adding further depth to Jon Daly’s squad.
Barrett, who can play across the backline or in midfield, came up through the Shamrock Rovers academy, with a short spell at Shelbourne’s academy in 2022, before re-joining the Hoops ahead of the 2023 season. As part of his development, he soon joined First Division outfit Kerry FC on a season-long loan to gain valuable senior experience at just 18 years of age.
After making 26 appearances for the Kingdom across all competitions in 2023, Barrett returned to Tallaght where he made his Shamrock Rovers first-team debut in their 3-1 President’s Cup win over St. Patrick’s Athletic as a second-half substitute – a game that also saw Conan Noonan play the full 90 minutes.
Barrett made his maiden Premier Division appearance in Shamrock Rovers’ 3-0 home win over Sligo Rovers in April of 2024, going on to make a further four substitute appearances for Stephen Bradley’s side before spending the second-half of 2024 back on loan with Kerry FC at Mounthawk Park where he made ten starts for Conor McCarthy’s side in the First Division.
Barrett once more returned to Tallaght Stadium for 2025 where he made 11 appearances in all competitions, including three European appearances against St. Joseph’s FC of Gibraltar, Portuguese side Santa Clara along with a league phase appearance against Greek outfit AEK Athens.
Cian scored his first senior goal for Shamrock Rovers in their 6-1 Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup semi-final against his former club Kerry FC in October of 2025, before being named on the bench for their final win over Cork City in November.
Now making the move to the RSC for 2026, Barrett is looking forward to the challenge ahead with the Blues, saying:
“When Jon [Daly] contacted Rovers about the possibility of joining on loan, it was an opportunity that really excited me. I can’t wait to get going and will do everything I can to help the team over the next few months.”
Blues Head Coach Jon Daly is delighted to welcome Barrett to the Blues ahead of the start of the 2026 League of Ireland season, saying:
“I’m delighted to welcome Cian to the club for the coming season. Cian is highly rated at Shamrock Rovers and will bring versatility and quality to our side across defence & midfield. He developed at an early age already in senior football with loans at Kerry & first-team experience with Rovers, and I’m looking forward to working with him over the coming year”.
Barrett will wear the number six whilst with Waterford in 2026. Welcome to the Blues, Cian!
Cian Barrett’s Player Sponsorship is now available for 2026. Contact Waterford FC Commercial Manager Tony Kelly at tony.kelly@waterfordfc.ie to find out more.
