Pride of place in the resplendent Monaghan Harps clubhouse in 2010 went to the club's U21s who brilliantly captured the county Division One title. The Harps first team also achieved their primary objective of retaining their senior status and enjoyed a back-door SFC victory over Drumhowan before being knocked out of the competition by Truagh. All in all, it was an eventful and successful season for the county town outfit.

Having been humiliated the last time they played in the senior league in 2008, Monaghan Harps went into the 2010 campaign with one main target: to consolidate their seat at the top table. The 2009 intermediate champions took the bull by the horns and put together a magnificent Division One campaign, standing toe to toe with the very best in the Oriel County and qualifying for a league semi-final spot. It was superb stuff and it showed the world just what this current Harps team is made of.
In the 2010 Monaghan SFC, Harps - managed by Declan McArdle - lost to Ballybay after a replay before chalking up a morale-boosting win over familiar foes Drumhowan. However, defeat to Truagh Gaels brought their run to a disappointing end. Still, a prolonged championship run would merely have iced the cake on what had already been a successful year. The bottom line is that Monaghan Harps will be in Division One and the SFC again in 2011, so it's definitely a case of Mission Accomplished.
It was left to the club's U21s - managed by coaching officer and first-team selector Brian Lenehan - to bring home the silverware and they did so in spectacular style, beating Scotstown by 0-12 to 2-4 in the McQuillan Staircases U21 Division One final at Emyvale on Monday September 13th. The decider was played in extremely difficult conditions but the Harps dug deepest to deservedly claim the McMahon Cup.
They were the more composed and better balanced side throughout and could have won by more. The Monaghan attackers caused Scotstown all manner of problems on the day and a solid all-round team performance brought some welcome silverware to the town. David Hughes, Paul Toal and Donal Hahessy had Monaghan three points to the good after 20 minutes and the winners also had a goal ruled out for a square-ball infringement and struck the woodwork twice. The north county men closed the gap to one but scores from Hughes and Nicholas Scott made it 0-5 to 0-2 at the break.
Harps extended their lead to five (0-8 to 0-3) thanks to Scott, Donal Hahessy and Liam Hahessy but Scotstown replied with a goal from the penalty spot before Scott, Liam Hahessy and Paul Toal steadied the ship - 0-11 to 1-3. Substitute Emmet McArdle made it a six-point game with five minutes remaining and the Harps held on for a wonderful win.
Monaghan Harps, 2010 U21 Division One winners: Daniel Duffy; Johnny Flynn, Aidan Og McAnespie, Conor Galligan; Fionntan Cassidy, Niall Hahessy, Dylan McMahon; Philip Drohan, Gary White; David Hughes (0-2) Paul Kelly, Nicholas Scott (0-3); Donal Hahessy (0-2), Liam Hahessy (0-2), Paul Toal (0-2). Subs: Emmet McArdle (0-1) for P Kelly; Gareth Treanor for J Flynn; Niall Greenan for L Hahessy; Brian Driver for F Cassidy.
The club held a well-attended Dinner Dance in the Hillgrove on Friday December 3rd, where the U21 team received their medals from Liam Stirrat. The various adult team managers for the year all offered a few words (Declan McArdle, Conor McGirr, Pat Murphy and Brian Lenehan), while the Senior Player of the Year award went to Dean Fanning.
Niall Hahessy won the O'Duffy Cup award; Lorcan McAdam took the Crawley Cup honour; and Gary White was named Under 21 Player of the Year. There were also presentations to club members who were married during the year; to John Harden, marking his 25 years as Treasurer; to Declan McArdle, on his departure as senior manager; and to Brian Lenehan on his achievement with the U21 team.
Reflecting on the season enjoyed by the first team, Senior Player of the Year Dean Fanning notes: "I think the whole team was happy with how the year went. At the start of the year, our main objective was to stay up and anything after that would have been a bonus. We achieved that in the first half of the league and then set our sights on bigger things. Perhaps we took our foot off the gas a little in the latter stages of the year, but we were delighted to stay up."
Consolidation was achieved comfortably, with plenty to spare. The Harps finished in the Top Four in Division One and played would-be winners Latton in a league semi-final, losing by just two points. This was a far cry from the last time Harps came up - in '08 - when they managed just one point in the league all year. "It was a bit of a disaster in 2008 but we got the monkey off our backs when we beat Latton in the first round this time. Declan McArdle, Gareth Coyle (trainer) and Brian Lenehan (selector) took charge of the team and they approached things very professionally. They met all the challenges that were put in front of them. In two years, Declan took us from intermediate to senior and we are very happy with his contribution to the club."
What will be the goal in 2011? "In a lot of respects 2010 was like a rookie year in that people didn't expect that much from Monaghan Harps and there was a perception that we were soft townies. But we got to the semi-final of the league and we'd be hoping to build on that and get to the final next year. Obviously, we'll set our sights on staying up first and then we'll hopefully push on once we're safe."
Is there a buzz in the town and a feeling that the Harps are back? "I wouldn't be going around saying the Harps are back just yet, but people are starting to ask questions now and to show an interest in the team, which is encouraging. We are dining at the top table now and there are more people in the town talking about football and showing an interest in how the Harps are getting on."
Though they are essentially a young side, Monaghan Harps have plenty of experience in their ranks with the likes of Peter Coyle still going strong while players like Stephen McAleer and Stephen Driver have been playing adult football since they were 16. The Harps also had three or four lads in training with the county seniors recently, which augurs well for their future.
Whatever the future holds for Monaghan Harps, Dean Fanning will be a central player. The gifted attacker won practically everything coming up through the ranks - U12, U13, U14, U15, two U16 doubles, a minor league, a minor championship and an intermediate championship. Banty was in charge of the minor league winning team (that lost the championship final), while the 2006 MFC triumph represented Harps' first success at that level since 1993. Dean captained that minor team and many of those players (and this year's all-conquering U21 team) are now on the first team.
Referring to the U21 win, he says: "It was a big boost. It brought silverware into the club and it's nice to see a trophy at the Dinner Dance. It reflects the hard work that's being invested at all levels in the club.
"I'd say we'll be back in training in January. There's a new league format this year with just nine games so it'll be vital to hit the ground running. There's serious work going on behind the scenes in Monaghan Harps, by management, trainers, committee member, groundsmen and even people who line the pitches. We have one of the best venues in the county at the moment and it's a real privilege to play at Gavan Duffy Park these days.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the management team of Declan, Gareth and Brian for all the hard work they did during the year and also to complement the other workers in the club for everything they have done for us." Tweet

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