Monaghan Harps notes

Our Poker Classic takes place on Saturday night.

Fixture: Sunday, March 6: RFL Division Three v Éire Óg (Away) at 12pm

Monaghan Harps Lotto: Numbers 2, 8, 12 and 25. Jackpot of €4,100 not won. Residual prizes: €100 Pádraig Callan c/o himself; €40 Tommy Reilly c/o Séamus Treanor; €40 Finbarr Ronan c/o Brian O’Sullivan (Hurling Club); €40 Kathleen Whitney c/o Maria McKenna. Jackpot for Sunday, March 6 is €4,200 and Rose Hughes and Noel Hennessy are on duty. Lotto draw takes place in our refurbished clubhouse every Sunday night. All welcome. We were delighted to be joined by Tessie Connolly at last week’s draw and we wish her all the best of health.

Reserves: The club fixtures for 2016 get underway this Sunday when we go to Smithborough for our first Reserve Football League Division Three game against Éire Óg at 12 noon. Good luck to the players and management.

Poker: We host our Poker Classic in the clubhouse this Saturday, March 5, from 8pm. with an expected prize fund of €2,000. Tickets are on sale now from club members at a cost of €30. All support appreciated.

Know Your Sport: Our sports prediction competition is set to make a comeback in the next few weeks. Keep an eye on club notes and social media for more details.

Dates to remember: As well as our Poker Classic this Saturday, we are also looking forward to our Cake Sale in the Shopping Centre on Saturday, April 16, which comes two weeks after the scheduled return of our Saturday-morning coaching. The Senior Football League starts on March 20 with a home game against Doohamlet, while the Reserve Football League Divisions 1A and Three get underway over the next two weekends and the Minor Football League begins on Tuesday, April 5 away to Scotstown. We will once again host Darkness into Light Monaghan this year in the early hours of Saturday, May 7, with a launch night for the Cavan and Monaghan events at the Hotel Kilmore on Tuesday, March 15. We will also be taking part in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in town as always.

Juveniles: All juvenile teams are preparing for the start of their leagues, which are scheduled as follows: Under-16s: Thursday, March 31; Under-14s: Saturday, March 12; Under-12 (Spring League): Saturday, March 19. Our Under-12s had a very enjoyable trip to Dublin last Saturday, which included playing a challenge match against Skerries Harps and watching the Monaghan match at Croke Park. Thanks to all mentors who travelled with the players and also to our hosts in Skerries for looking after everyone so well.

Membership: Registration fees of €20 for 2016 can now be paid to club registrar Kevin Treanor (086 2591411) or in the clubhouse. All players and members must be paid up by the end of March and are asked to register as soon as possible. Keep an eye on club notes for details of an upcoming registration night.

First Aid course: Monaghan GAA will be holding a first-aid course over two nights in Cloghan on Monday, March 7 and Monday, March 14. Each evening will run from 6.30-9.45. This is recommended for anyone who wishes to actively assist the children (or adults) in their care. Anyone interested should contact John McArdle 087 2508557.

Handball: Congratulations to all the young Harps handballers who enjoyed great success in Ulster competitions last Sunday. See elsewhere for more details.

Thanks: To Gregory Moffett (Ace Cabs) for his help with a job well done around Rooskey recently.

Keys: Anyone who has any keys for our facilities at Gavan Duffy Park that are not currently needed is asked to please return them to Damien Morgan or any club member at their earliest convenience.

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. Please note that the main pitch remains closed until further notice.

County/Colleges: Good luck to Neil McAdam and the Monaghan senior footballers in Sunday’s NFL game v Mayo in Clones after their fine performance at Croke Park last weekend. Best wishes to all Harps players currently playing for schools and college teams, including Brendan McQuaid, who helped DCU win a Leinster junior title last week.

Sympathy: The club sends sympathy to Dónal Sherry and family on the death of his brother, Peter.

Coaching: Monaghan Coaching & Games Development are running a series of Coach Education programmes at present. See the Monaghan GAA website or contact Pádraig Callan on 087 2139188 for more details.

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 2139188 for more information. Anyone looking to book the clubhouse for meetings, functions, etc. is asked to please give a week’s notice for convenience.