Fixtures: Sunday, May 1: RFC O’Duffy Cup v Emyvale (Home) at 2pm; MHL v Carrickmacross (Away) at 11am

Monday, May 2: Under-12 Spring League Finals v Scotstown in Cloghan at 11am; v Magheracloone in Cloghan at 12pm

Tuesday, May 3: MFL Division One v Corduff (Away) at 7.30pm

Wednesday, May 4: SFL v Truagh (Home) at 7.30pm

 

Monaghan Harps Lotto: Numbers 2, 6, 12 and 22. Jackpot of €4,900 not won. Residual prizes: €100 Gerard Myers c/o Brian O’Sullivan (Hurling Club); €40 Patrick Grimley c/o Dermot Coyle; €40 F O’Connor c/o Paudge Connolly; €40 Liz Brennan c/o herself. Jackpot for Sunday, May 1 is €5,000 and Mary McRory, Una Forde and Rose Donnelly are on duty. Lotto draw takes place in our refurbished clubhouse every Sunday night. All welcome.

 

1916 Centenary Concert: Thanks to everyone who supported our 1916 Centenary Concert in the clubhouse last Saturday night. There was a great range of talented young musicians, singers and dancers performing on the night, as well as a historical talk by Enda Galligan. Well done to all involved, not least to Gerard Clerkin and Vincent McKenna for organising the night.

 

Seniors: Our senior footballers lost out away to Clontibret last Saturday evening. Early points by Éimhín Morahan, Dean Fanning and Liam Hahessy got us off to a good start, but our lead had been reduced to 0-5 to 0-4 by half-time. Paddy Connolly and Liam got our second-half scores, but we fell short on a 0-13 to 0-8 scoreline.

Team and scorers: Ashley White; David Lowry, Nicholas Scott, Niall Treanor; Francis Lynch, Niall Hahessy, James McKenna; Stephen Driver (Capt.), Éimhín Morahan (0-2); Neil McAdam, Shane Smyth, Dean Fanning (0-1); Liam Hahessy (0-4, 2f), Paddy Connolly (0-1), Nicholas Treanor

Sub: Kevin Loughran for Lynch (50 mins).

Our seniors are at home to Truagh next Wednesday at 7.30pm. All support welcome. Our SFC Round 1A game against Magheracloone has been set for Saturday, May 14 in Aughnamullen at 7pm.

 

Darkness into Light: In just over a week’s time, we will once again host Darkness into Light Monaghan, which takes place at 4.15am on Saturday, May 7. Pre-registration and t-shirt collection for people who have registered online is available in Monaghan Shopping Centre this Friday and Saturday (10am-6pm) and in our clubhouse next Wednesday and Thursday (7pm-9pm).

 

Reserves: We got a first win of the RFL Division 1A at home to Magheracloone last Wednesday evening. Points by Francis Lynch, Éimhín Morahan, Liam Hahessy, Shane Coyle, Paddy Connolly and Nicholas Treanor and a goal from Dean Fanning had us 1-7 to 0-4 up at half-time and when Dean found the net again in the second half, we were well clear. Magheracloone rallied with a brace of goals to close the gap significantly, but points by Liam, Shane, Dean and Éimhín secured a 2-15 to 2-12 win.

Team and scorers: Conor Devlin; Conor Forde, James McKenna, David Lowry; Niall Treanor, Robbie Moyna, Francis Lynch (0-1); Dylan McKenna, Éimhín Morahan (0-4, 1 ’45); Liam Hahessy (0-5, 3f), Shane Coyle (0-2), Dean Fanning (2-1); Pat Meehan, Paddy Connolly (0-1), Nicholas Treanor (0-1f).

Sub: Paul Smyth for Meehan.

Both of our reserve teams are in championship action this weekend: McKeown Cup at home to Oram on Friday at 7.15pm and O’Duffy Cup at home to Emyvale on Sunday at 2pm.

 

Know Your Sport: Most of the entrants in our Know Your Sport prediction competition got off the mark with Dublin’s NFL win last Sunday, although Ronnie O’Sullivan’s exit from the World Snooker Championship was bad news for most. Any unreturned forms must be handed in ASAP. All support is greatly appreciated.

 

Minors: Our minor footballers lost out away to Clontibret last Tuesday, when the concession of goals proved costly in a game that finished 5-9 to 2-14. Next week’s game is away to Corduff.

 

U-16: Our Under-16 footballers had a high-scoring win over Inniskeen in an entertaining game last Thursday. Goals by Adam O’Neill and Anann Connor and points from Conor McCrystal, Brendan Óg Ó Dufaigh and Lochlainn Power saw our lads hit 2-4 in the opening quarter, but Inniskeen came strongly back into it before an Oisín Fagan point sent our lads in a point up at half-time. Ógie found the net early in the second half, along with points by Adam, Dylan Maguire, Oisín and Mujtaba Gamal. Luke Coyle added our fourth goal and points by Adam, Conor and Ógie secured a 4-13 to 3-11 win. Round four is away to Truagh next Thursday.

Team and scorers: Dylan Ballantine; Conor McCarron, Seán Conway, Andrew Lyden; Stephen Ward, Dylan Maguire (0-1), Conor Devlin; Anann Connor (1-0), Adam O’Neill (1-3); Oisín Fagan (0-2), Brendan Óg Ó Dufaigh (1-3), Killian Conlon; Mujtaba Gamal (0-1), Conor McCrystal (0-2f), Lochlainn Power (0-1).

Sub used: Luke Coyle (1-0).

 

U-14: Our Under-14 Division Five team hosted Emyvale in the league on Wednesday. Our Division One team were away to Inniskeen on Thursday.

 

U-12: Our Under-12 Spring League double-header against Castleblayney went ahead last Tuesday evening. First up was the Zone A game, where scores by Eoin O’Hanlon, Luke McManus, Fionán Ó Gallchóir and Josh Kelly had the Harps 10-8 up by the end of the first half. Luke, Eoin and Shea Swift added further scores in the second half of a competitive game that saw our lads run out winners by 16 to 13.

Team and scorers: Senan Cudden; Patrick Dooley-Duffy, Ethan Ballantine; Gary Devlin, Michael McMorrow; Seán Callan, Eoin O’Hanlon (1-2, 0-1f); Jake McConnon, Luke McManus (0-8, 1f); Fionán Ó Gallchóir (0-2, 1f), Josh Kelly (0-2).

Subs used: Cian Bradley, Shea Swift (0-1).

In the Zone B game, Cian Bradley, Ethan Ballantine, Senan Cudden and Oisín Treanor helped our lads take a 5-3 half-time lead, before Jack Corrigan and Gregory O’Connell added scores. The game remained close throughout, but some hard work by our backs and late efforts by Oisín Reilly and Jake McConnon secured a win by 11 scores to six.

Team and scorers: Jake McConnon (0-1); Jordan Crampton (Capt.), Jack Lynch; Mark Clerkin, Max Mallen; Ethan Ballantine (1-0), Senan Cudden (0-1); Oisín Treanor (0-1), Cian Bradley (0-2); Aidan McGeough, Oisín Reilly (1-2).

Subs used: Liam McCabe, Morgan Coyle, Shea Swift, Shane Moran, Gregory O’Connell (1-0), Dáire Conlon, Aidan Cunningham, Eoin McCleary, Jack Corrigan (0-1), Mark Corrigan, Matthew McGonnell.

Next up is the Spring League finals day in Cloghan on Monday, with our teams taking on Scotstown at11am and Magheracloone at 12 noon. All support welcome.

 

Blitz: We host an U-10/U-8 blitz at Gavan Duffy Park this Saturday morning from 10am to 12 noon. All help would be appreciated.

 

Dates to remember: Our Golf Classic is now set for Friday, June 10, with our Street Collection also to take place in June (more details later). The Ladies Club’s Abbey Fanning Sevens Tournament will be played on Saturday, May 28.

 

Membership: Registration fees (€20 for adults, €50 for a family) for 2016 are now overdue and must be paid as soon as possible. All players and parents of juveniles are asked to ensure that their membership is paid.

                                                                                        

Coaching: Keep an eye on the Monaghan GAA website or contact Pádraig Callan on 087 4515206 for details of upcoming Coach Education programmes.

 

Pitch bookings: All pitch bookings for 2016 for training or matches must be made via 086 1957155. Training slots have been allocated and any changes must be notified in advance.

 

Gavan Duffy Park: The refurbished Monaghan Harps clubhouse is available to book for functions. Contact Jimmy Croarkin on 087 1249635 or Pádraig Callan on 087 4515206 for more information. Anyone looking to book the clubhouse for meetings, functions, etc. is asked to please give a week’s notice for convenience.

 

Sympathy: The club sends sympathy to Ann Treanor and family on the death of her mother, Nan Donaghue. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.

 

Hurling:

Juveniles: Training for all juvenile age groups continues every Sunday at 12pm in Rooskey.

 

U-14: Our U-14s were just edged out by Castleblayney at home on Monday on a 4-6 to 4-4 scoreline.

 

U-14 County: The Monaghan U-14 Hurling Development Squads trials will take place on Sunday, May 1 from 9.30 to 11am in Cloghan. Players must be born in 2002/2003 to be eligible to take part. All players must take their helmet and hurley with them. Names of those interested should be forwarded to the club on or before Thursday, April 28.

 

Minors: The away game against Cootehill has been changed to tomorrow night (Wednesday), followed by another away fixture in Carrickmacross on Sunday morning.

 

Minor Presentation Night: Our minor double-winning squad of 2015 were presented with their medals in the clubhouse last Friday night. Well done to all involved.

 

Senior: Carrickmacross conceded last Thursday’s Silver Hill Foods Development League fixture. There is a home game against Craobh Rua this Thursday.