Monaghan Harps are slowly finding their feet at senior level. In 2011, they again retained their senior status with a comfortable mid-table finish in the league, which means they can look forward to a third successive SFC campaign (and fourth in five years). However, they will have been disappointed to have made no impact in the premier competition during the months gone by, losing both their championship outings - to Ballybay and Inniskeen - within the space of three weeks. While the latter defeat was one of the shocks of the summer, the Harps girls delivered some awesome performances to bring some silverware to the county town club in the shape of the intermediate ladies championship.

In 2008, Monaghan Harps returned to senior grade for the first time in eight years. But their stay in the highest echelon was short-lived as they suffered instant relegation. However, the club has an exciting crop of young - and spirited - talent at its disposal and they bounced back immediately by winning the 2009 IFC. They held their own in senior football in 2010 (also winning the U21 Division One title) and preserved their top-flight status again in 2011. Okay, their championship form was disappointing and they need to find more consistency in the league, but slowly and surely this team is finding its feet.
Mick McCormack's charges showed what they are capable of when thumping Doohamlet in a high-scoring away league game in early July, 5-13 to 2-13 - this with Peter Coyle and Stephen Driver both absent and three players handed their first senior starts (Ronan McGann, Aidan Óg McAnespie and Philip Drohan). All but one of the Harps scores came from play and Donal Hahessy weighed in with an incredible 4-5. Despite losing narrowly to in-form Latton in their next league outing, the Harps went into their SFC opener against Ballybay full of confidence. Unfortunately, they fell to a disappointing 2-15 to 2-9 defeat at Clontibret on Sunday July 24th, with Ronan McGann and Liam Hahessy both making their SFC debuts.
Outplayed and outfought in the first half, the Harps trailed by 13 points at one stage but a raft of changes sparked a comeback and they registered 2-3 without reply between the 41st and 47th minutes to close the argin to four and almost turn the game on its head. But Ballybay held on.
Defeat consigned Harps to the back-door, where they had enjoyed a modest run in 2010. They were drawn against Inniskeen at Clontibret on Sunday evening, August 14th, as part of a SFC double-header also featuring Ballybay V Truagh. The expectation was that the town side would advance but the Grattans - who hadn't won a game all year prior to this game - caught them on the hop and claimed a shock 1-9 to 0-11 victory.
Frees from Nicholas Treanor and Donal Hahessy had the sides on level terms after eight minutes, 0-2 apiece, and Hahessy kicked the losers' only first-half point from play at the start of the second quarter. But they conceded five on the bounce to trail by 0-7 to 0-3 at the interval. An Inniskeen goal at the start of the second half left Harps with a mountain to climb and - even though they registered the last five points of the game courtesy of David Hughes (0-2), Hahessy (0-2) and Conor Galligan - they slipped to an unexpected defeat.
They finished the match strongly but had left it too late.
The side on duty against Inniskeen in the SFC was: Ronan McGann; Con O'Hanlon, Stephen Driver, Mark McCaughey; Aidan Óg McAnespie, Conor Galligan (0-1), Shane Coyle; Philip Drohan, Neil McAdam (captain, 0-1); Paul Kelly, Nicholas Treanor (0-2), Pat Murphy; Donal Hahessy (0-5), David Hughes (0-2), Emmett McArdle. Subs: Liam Hahessy for Murphy (24), David Loughran for Kelly (39).
It had been a similar case in the preliminary round against Ballybay three weeks earlier when Harps never got going until the match was effectively over. Early exchanges were even enough but the Pearses hit 1-4 without reply and got a second goal before the short whistle to lead by 2-8 to 0-4 at the break.
The winners continued to dominate and three more points soon had them ahead by 13. The revival was started by second-half substitute Nicholas Treanor, with two points, and Shane Smyth added another before goal-poacher David Loughran found the net after coming off the bench. County man Neil McAdam continued the comeback with a second major but Ballybay recovered their composure to clip over two scores of their own. Donal Hahessy and Treanor added late points for the losers, who in truth never really looked like winning…
Monaghan Harps, 2011 SFC V Ballybay: Mark Hughes; Mark McCaughey, Stephen Driver, Aidan Óg McAnespie; Conor Devlin, Conor Galligan, David Hughes; Peter Coyle, Neil McAdam (captain, 1-1); Paul Rushe, Shane Smyth (0-1), Philip Drohan; Donal Hahessy (0-3), Emmett McArdle (0-1), Ashley White. Subs: Ronan McGann for M Hughes (11), Liam Hahessy for Rushe, David Loughran (1-0) for Drohan (both h/t), Nicholas Treanor (0-3) for White (34), Con O'Hanlon for Devlin (51).
The club's minors bowed out of Division One championship contention when losing at home to Castleblayney Faughs on a 3-10 to 1-8 scoreline on Tuesday, July 12th. Fearghal McMahon's goal and a flurry of points from McMahon (3), Shane Hannon (2) and Michael Galligan (2) had them ahead by 1-7 to 0-7 at the turnaround but it went downhill badly upon the restart and Niall Greenan's free was the hosts' only score of the second period.
This was the minor team for the championship: Ryan Shields; Pauric Murphy, Colm Flynn, Darren McMahon; Conor Forde, Niall Greenan (0-1), Kevin Loughran; Evan Doherty, Dylan McMahon; Benin Devlin, Michael Galligan (0-2), Niall Treanor; Shane Hannon (0-2), Shane Loughran, Fearghal McMahon (1-3). Sub: Anthony Croarkin for Devlin.
The U18s kept plugging away and, although they were already out of contention for a semi-final place, closed their Division One league programme with an excellent 6-7 to 1-4 drubbing of Emyvale at Gavan Duffy Park. The goals were scored by John Treanor (who started between the posts and netted twice after moving to corner forward), Paddy Clarke (2), Benin Devlin and Aaron Stuart. The management team of Maurice Galligan, Pádraig Reilly, John McMahon and Gary McAleer put in a tremendous shift at the helm and, encouragingly, most of the players will be eligible for minor football again in 2012.
It was left to the ladies to bring silverware to Monaghan Harps in 2011 and they did so with a stunning 2-9 to 0-13 victory over Aghabog in the county intermediate championship decider on Wednesday, August 24th - the ladies club's first championship success in nine years. Full forward and top scorer Orla Callan's opening point was cancelled out and Sinead Maguire had the winners briefly ahead again before Aghabog moved in front. Callan levelled the scores again, 0-3 each.
The country girls got three of the next four points to lead by two at the break. Aghabog grabbed the next point and Eimear O'Rourke replied. The losers then moved four clear and points were exchanged before substitute Slainey Murray reduced the gap to three. A great Orla Whelan block kept the Harps in the match and Callan levelled it up with the first goal of the day. Niamh Maguire hit the lead point but Aghabog responded with an equaliser. Five minutes from time, 14-year-old O'Rourke settled the contest when she struck the rebound to the net after seeing her penalty saved. Murray added another point and the Harps withstood a late Aghabog rally to win by two.
Captain and centre back Grainne Treanor lifted the cup and wing forward Muireann O'Rourke collected the Player of the Match award after delivering an action-packed performance.
Monaghan Harps, 2011 county intermediate ladies champions: Allison Treanor; Laura McManus, Donna Marie Morgan, Orla Whelan; Niamh Maguire (0-1), Grainne Treanor (captain), Jessica Drohan; Jennifer Treanor, Tessa Fleming; Muireann O'Rourke, Sinead Maguire (0-1), Aisling McCabe; Eimear O'Rourke (1-1), Orla Callan, (1-4), Una Rooney. Subs: Slainey Murray (0-2), Danielle Mulligan.
Harps ladies return to senior level

The senior ladies side lifted their first county championship title in nine years when they were crowned Intermediate champions writes Alan Gunn.

After making the drop from senior level the sides wasted little time in returning to the top flight. In what was a tough championship against sides like Scotstown, Corduff and Aghabog, nothing was going to be easy and that is exactly how it turned out. The Harps were drawn against the 2009 Ulster Junior champions Corduff and in hard fought opening period just a single points separated the sides with the Harps edging it 1-5 to 2-1. After the restart the eventual winners took control and when the final whistle sounded the scoreline read 3-13 to 2-5, the goals coming from Muireann and Emear O'Rouke and Stephanie Keenan while there was also impressive scoring from both Sinead Maguire and Orla Callan who rowed in with four points apiece.
In the final it was just like the old days when they faced Aghbog in the decider. Both sides had come head to head many a time to battle it out for senior honours throughout the years. While it may have been a level lower they both still matched each other all the way to produce a nail biting thriller. Trailing by two points they lifted their game after the resumption but were still playing catch up until Orla Callan struck for the games opening goal to tie the game. The sides traded points before the winners struck for goal number two five minutes from time. It came after they were awarded a penalty and although Eimear O'Rourke saw her attempt saved she reacted quickly to riffle the rebound home. A point from Slainey Murray extended the lead and while Aghabog hit back with two points the Harps held onto to win the title.
Team (v Aghabog): Allison Treanor, Laura McManus, Donna Marie Morgan, Orla Whelan, Niamh Maguire (0-1), Grainne Treanor, Jessica Drohan, Jennifer Treanor, Tessa Fleming, Muireann O'Rourke, Sinead Maguire (0-1), Aisling McCabe, Eimear O'Rourke (1-1), Orla Callan, (1-4), Una Rooney. Subs used: Slainey Murray (0-2) Danielle Mulligan.
After securing the county title they returned to Ulster action where they have had many years of success in the past at senior level. Harps came up against a side that had also just returned back down from senior level in the form of Lisnaskea. The Fermanagh girls came to Rooskey in October. Nothing separated the sides in the early stages but gradually the visitors gained control and at the break they led 2-8 to 1-4.
As hard as they tried the home side could not get themselves back into contention and the Fermanagh side ran out winners 2-17 to 2-8 and went on to lift the Ulster title. Tweet

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