FAI Cup final countdown: Emmet Maloneon what cup glory would mean to a man who has coped with tabloid notoriety and family tragedy

It is three years now since Barry Ryan was sacked by Shamrock Rovers after being banned for 15 months in the wake of a positive test for a recreational drug. The humiliation suffered could hardly have been more public, with reports of the goalkeeper's problems finding their way into areas of the media that rarely bothered with the Eircom League. And, he admits, it continues to this day, with journalists and supporters alike anxious, it seems, to bring the topic up at every opportunity.

For Ryan, though, the difficulties endured in 2003 pale into insignificance when compared with the tragic events of a year later. That December his father, Noel, a hugely enthusiastic sportsman who had in his time hurled and played football for his native Clare as well as having had a spell in the League of Ireland with Cork Celtic, died in tragic circumstances.

Two years on, while his family will get up on Sunday and go to a Mass marking the second anniversary of Noel's passing, Barry will attempt to focus on Lansdowne Road and a cup final, he says, that would have meant so much to his father.

"He took a massive interest in my career," says Ryan. "He would be the proudest man walking around Ennis if he was still alive today. He committed suicide. It was tough at the time and it still is tough. It's hard to deal with but life goes on and Sunday is for him.

"I won't make the Mass, obviously, but I think he would prefer for me to be up in Dublin playing a final than to be in a church."

His mother, Marie, brothers Noelie and David and sister Gemma will be at Lansdowne Road in time for the kick-off as Ryan, now with St Patrick's Athletic, looks to complete what has really been a remarkable comeback.

"It's been a long road," he says, "After it happened, coming back up to Dublin and leaving the family was hard. It has been tough living in Dublin on my own, especially at night when you have loads of time to think.

"But you have to do it. I am here to do a job and, hopefully, I can do the best I can. And Sunday is a big day for the family. There are a few busloads coming up so there is a bit of pressure."

If the Dubliners do upset the odds to beat Derry City it will be a career high point for Ryan. Though his suspension was reduced on appeal to nine months, his long absence represented the derailment of a career that had promised so much.

During his time out of the game he worked at a succession of jobs and also had a spell on the dole, never entirely sure what the future held.

Having returned to football with Dublin City, however, and then moved to Inchicore, Ryan believes he is playing better than ever, and Sunday's game represents a welcome opportunity to demonstrate his form to a much wider audience.

"I wasn't allowed to train with anyone, which was very hard," he says. "But I did my time. It was a mistake but I've moved on. I've matured a huge amount since then and worked very hard since I've come back. Now, I feel, I am getting my reward with this cup final.

"If were to win it," he continues, "it would be a real springboard. We would be in Europe and the Setanta Cup and we would have to push on."

This season's results between the two sides are hardly the most encouraging, John McDonnell's side having taken just one point from nine, but Ryan and his team-mates believe they have a point to prove at Lansdowne Road, and nobody has more to play for than the 28-year-old goalkeeper from Ennis.