Fixtures: Thursday, April 18: U-15 FL Division One v Carrickmacross (Away) at 6.45pm

Friday, April 19: U-15 FL Division Four v Truagh (Home) at 7pm

Saturday, April 20: RFC O’Duffy Cup v Aughnamullen (Home) at 5.30pm; U-11 Spring League v Clontibret (Away) at 11am

 

Monaghan Harps Lotto: Numbers 2, 8, 18 and 19. Jackpot of €1,300 not won. Residual prizes: €100 Martin McCarville c/o Séamus Treanor; €40 Marie Farrell c/o herself; €40 Noel Smith c/o Barry Sullivan; €40 Ben O’Sullivan c/o Eileen McElvaney (Ladies Club). Jackpot for Sunday, April 21 is €1,400 and Rose Hughes and Noel Hennessy are on duty. Lotto draw takes place in our clubhouse every Sunday night. All welcome. Thanks to everyone for their support for our Lotto, which has now played a critical role in our club’s funding for almost 25 years: we plan to celebrate that milestone on April 28. We ask all club members to continue to promote our Lotto as much as possible. Please note that the 2019 Sunday-night rota is now available in the clubhouse.

 

Seniors: We fell to a narrow defeat in Donaghmoyne in the Monaghan Electrical Intermediate Football League last Saturday, despite an improved performance. A bright start saw Gary White, Neil McAdam, Oisín Fagan and Dylan McKenna shoot us ahead, but a brace of goals kept Donaghmoyne in touch and it was level at 0-8 to 2-2 by half-time. A third goal had the hosts narrowly ahead at the start of the final quarter and further Harps points from Conor Galligan, Dean Fanning, Lochlainn Power, Gary and Dylan weren’t enough as we fell just short at 3-5 to 0-13.

Team and scorers: Darragh Hannon; John Mulligan, Aodhán Óg McAnespie (Capt.), Conor Duffy; Oisín Fagan (0-2), Conor Galligan (0-1), Kevin Loughran; Dylan McKenna (0-2), James McKenna; Dean Fanning (0-1), Brendan Óg Ó Dufaigh, Niall Greenan; Gary White (0-4, 3f), Neil McAdam (0-1), Lochlainn Power (0-2).

Subs: Shane McMahon for Greenan (47 mins).

We have another away game in Cremartin on Saturday week (April 27).

 

Reserves: We enter the O’Duffy Cup championship with a preliminary-round game at home to Aughnamullen on Saturday at 5.30pm. Please support!

 

Minors: We started the U-17 Football League Division One with a hard-earned win at home to Emyvale last Tuesday. After a slow start, scores by Eoghan McGinnity, Dean Doherty and Dylan Ballantine got us into the game, only for Emyvale to move clear again with a brace of goals either side of half-time. A spirited comeback by our minors saw goals from James McKenny and Adam McGarry and further points by Eoghan and Terence McDonald earn us a narrow win on a scoreline of 3-10 to 3-9. With the county minors in championship action now, our next game in this competition isn’t until May 7.

Team and scorers: Daragh Croarkin; James McKenny (1-0), Tiarnán O’Rourke, James Curley; Liam Conway, Cathal Nally, Joshua Clerkin; Nathan Lavery, Kevin Moran; Mark McManus, Eoghan McGinnity (1-7, 0-3f), Dean Doherty (Capt., 0-1); Adam McGarry (1-0), Dylan Ballantine (0-1), Terence McDonald (0-1f).

Subs: Jake Power for Curley (H-T), Shay Cooney for Clerkin (44 mins), Josh Maguire for McManus (46), Ben Myers for McGarry (57).

 

U-15: The U-15 Football League Division One started last Thursday when our lads claimed a good win at home to Clontibret. Our lads built up a good lead in the first half and although Clontibret battled back after the restart, the Harps boys finished well to secure a 4-9 to 1-8 win.

Team: Oisín Reilly; Dáire Conlon, Jordan Crampton, Gregory O’Connell; Shane Moran, Gary Devlin, Senan Cudden; Shea Swift, Cian Bradley; Karol Parszywka, Seán Callan, Fionán Ó Gallchóir; Josh Kelly, Jake McConnon, Luke McManus.

Our Division Four team continued their good start with a big win away to Scotstown on Friday.

 

U-13: Our U-13 Division One team fell to a narrow defeat away to Scotstown last Saturday. Carrickmacross are next up on Saturday week (April 27).

 

U-11: Our U-11s are away to Clontibret in the Spring League this Saturday at 11am.

 

U-9: Well done to our U-9s who competed in the county blitz in Cloghan last Saturday.

 

Scór: Well done to our quiz team who competed in Tráth na gCeist at the All-Ireland Scór Sinsir finals in Castlebar. Our team consisted of Joe Ó Gallchóir, Eugene McGinnity, John Hahessy and Anthony Gorman.

 

Coaching: Our Saturday-morning coaching for our youngest players is up and running for 2019. The club is very fortunate to have a pool of hardworking and dedicated individuals who look after and coach these “early learners”. Our Saturday-morning activities are fun-filled and enjoyed by the children and are an equally rewarding and enjoyable experience to those who help make it happen, so we encourage anyone with an interest to get involved.

 

Registration: Registration fees for 2019 are now overdue but can still be paid to club registrar Kevin Treanor or in the clubhouse. Please note that all juvenile and adult players must be paid-up members. Fees are as follows: U-11s €20; juveniles/seniors €30; family membership €60.

 

Dates to remember: The 25^th anniversary party for the club’s Lotto is planned for Sunday week, April 28. Darkness into Light will take place for a sixth time in Monaghan on May 11, 2019.

 

County: Good luck to Daragh Croarkin and the Monaghan minor footballers in Saturday’s Ulster MFC opener against Down in Clones.

 

Schools: Good luck to all involved with the St. Macartan’s College team in the upcoming Brock Shield Final.

 

Clubhouse: The Monaghan Harps clubhouse is available to book for functions. Please contact Paudge Connolly on 085 8589135 or Rose Donnelly on 086 0825782 for more information. Anyone looking to book the clubhouse for meetings, functions, etc. is asked to please give a week’s notice for convenience.

 

Pitches: Training schedules for all teams are currently being finalised. Coaches are asked to please ensure that gates and dressing rooms are locked and all equipment, bottles etc. is removed from the pitch after training sessions.

 

Hurling: Our U-15 team got off to a winning start in the Táin Óg league last Monday night. The lads travelled to Clontibret for the opening round of the competition and they came away with the win. Their next fixture is at home against Cootehill on Monday evening at 7.30.

On Wednesday evening, our U-14 team qualified to represent Monaghan in this year’s Féile. They won two out of three games, which meant they finished as runners-up and will be taking their place at the Féile in Cork.

 

Ladies: U-14s: Hard luck to our U-14s, who were defeated last Tuesday in the Division Two Championship Final by a superb St. Brigid’s outfit. Their attention now switches to the league which starts next Tuesday (April 23) at home to Aughnamullen at 6.45pm.

 

Website: Our new club website is now live. See www.monaghanharps.gaa.ie to keep up to date with our latest club news and fixtures.

 

O’Neills: A range of Harps gear can now be bought online from O’Neills website. See the club’s social-media pages for the link.

 

Notes: Anyone whohas news for inclusion in the club notes can send an email to pro.monaghanharps.monaghan@gaa.ie by Tuesday morning.