Tradition is one of the GAA's major constituent parts and, in this respect, that which is boasted by county town club Monaghan Harps is second to none. In the sphere of underage football in particular. The Harps' record of achievement and promotion of the game equates exceedingly well with any other club in the county. 2007 proved to be a very successful season at underage level with triumphs in the Under 14 Shield, U13 League, U16 Championship and MFL. It was to be in the Shield competition that the Harps' underage contingent was first to make its mark. Managed by Declan McArdle and assisted by selectors Val Forde, Maurice Galligan, John McMahon and Paudge Connolly, the under 14s ran out for their first game of the season in an away game against 'blayney. Saturday March 24th delivered the green and whites a disappointing defeat although McArdle and Co. must have been impressed by the grit and determination shown on the day. The semi-final of the Shield took place at Gavan Duffy Park at the tail end of June and after a pulsating encounter, the Harps emerged victorious over a very gritty Carrick side. The final scoreline of 7-14 to 4-19 fairly reflected the gung-ho nature of the exchanges and the entertainment quotient served up by what were two very well prepared teams. Paddy Clarke stole the honours for the Harps with a three goal salvo while Michael Galligan bagged a brace with Paul Byrne and Niall Greenan nabbing one major apiece. The points tally came thick and fast in what was, overall, a fantastic team performance in which every player played his heart out for the common good. The team that was on duty in the penultimate round fixture was; Ryan Shields, Pauric Murphy, Darren McMahon, Anthony Croarkin, Shane Murphy, Conor Forde, Shea Deeney, Benin Devlin, Shane Maguire, Paul Smyth, Conor Curley, Myles Dwyer, Michael Galligan, Paddy Clarke, Niall Greenan. Subs: Darragh Connolly, Shane Hannon, Evan Doherty. And on to the Shield final and a meeting with a vaunted Clontibret side in the first week of July. It was to be as emphatic a triumph as Harps die-hards could have wished for. A power-packed display saw the Harps career to an emphatic 15 points victory (4-7 to 0-4) over a gallant but out-classed Clontibret side in an absorbing Under 14 Division One Shield decider. On a wet, miserable night, the Harps' skill and workrate carved out a deserved win and reflected well on the coaching and team-building exercises put in place by their tutors all year. Although Clontibret tried their damndest to arrest the Harps' momentum, an air of inevitability hung over proceedings from the early exchanges. Ultimately it was goals that counted with Michael Galligan bagging a brace and Shane Hannon and Patrick Clarke netting one apiece. Clontibret seemed to have a window of opportunity to chisel their way back into the match just before half-time but Ryan Shields in the Harps goal brought off a fine save. It was a fine and appropriate end to the year for the county town side who showed a degree of improvement in their performances throughout the year. After the customary tour the winning team arrived at the Clubhouse where all enjoyed a victory meal. "We finished the league in fifth place but I felt myself that we had a very good chance of going the distance in the Shield competition," team-selector Val Forde opines. "We lost Clontibret in our last league game before the Shield started and that hit the boys' confidence but they regrouped well to come back and beat them in the Shield. "The win over Clontibret was probably the squad's best display of the year and they deserved to win because they got into an early lead and never looked like being caught. "I think the lads were as happy in winning the Shield as they could have been had they won the league - it's a good competition and hopefully it will continue to operate every year." Monaghan Harps (U14 final v Clontibret); Ryan Shields, Pauric Murphy, Darren McMahon, Anthony Croarkin, Shea Deeney, Conor Forde, Shane Murphy, Benin Devlin, Shane Maguire, Myles Dwyer, Colm Flynn, Shane Hannon (1-2), Michael Galligan (2-4), Paddy Clarke (1-0), Niall Greenan (0-1). Subs: Conor Curley, Paul Smyth, Ciaran Neeson, Evan Doherty, Paul Byrne, Brendan McQuaid, Darragh Connolly Under 13s do club proud The Harps' under 13 squad in '07 were unfortunate to lose to Carrick in the equivalent under 12 county final in 2006 so they were infused by hunger and a desire to go one better as the 2007 season got underway. With approximately nine of the all-conquering under 14s on board, the club's under thirteens signalled their intent to win the Division One title with two wins on the trot as August came to an end. Wins over Carrick (3-8 to 2-8) and Truagh (2-10 to 1-5) and then another two by the start of September had Harps' young guns in the driving seat and destined for an unbeaten run. And by the time the team registered yet another win, this time away to Magheracloone, in mid-September the writing was on the wall for the best of the rest in the competition. The under 13s certainly hit the ground running with the strength in depth very much at the heart of the squad's consistent run of wins during the season. The commitment to training, the discipline shown by the squad and their unswerving desire to end up in the winner's enclosure was to hold them well 'till the end of the campaign. "I think the strength we had on the bench counted for a lot," recalls selector Val Forde. "We lost players like Padraig Murphy and Shane Loughran and had fellas to replace them. "Some underage teams have two or three players that they rely on but the under 13s was very much dependent upon everyone rowing in and driving them forward." A win over Emyvale in the last game of the series saw the Maurice Galligan managed (and assisted by Forde, Declan McArdle and John McMahon) Harps crew well on their way. The final saw the squad face Castleblayney Faughs in Cremartin. The formbook suggested it would be the county town side who would be hitting the high notes over the hour and doing the singing at the long whistle and so it proved. The Harps have been in fine tune all year and their consistency has seen them climb to the top of the table, winning all their games in the process. In the semi-final, the green and whites signalled their intention to capture the silverware by sweeping aside the challenge of a gutsy Carrick side by 2-12 to 1-7. The Faughs met the Harps the previous August and lost out by 2-10 to 5-11 so they were doubtless anxious to gain revenge in the sweetest possible way on the biggest stage of all. Apart from that defeat plus draws against Scotstown and Carrick, 'blayney had an unblemished record this season after comfortably beating Emyvale by 1-13 to 1-8. The scene was set for a fantastic contest with the issue destined to go to the wire. In the end, the Harps won out by 2-10 to 1-8 with a late goal by Fergal McMahon sealing the issue for the county town side. A well-taken Benin Devlin got a goal halfway through the first half gave the Harps a great lift after a less than convincing opening 20 minutes spell. "The goal really turned the game around for us because we had been poor up until that," adds Val. "Even though we weren't setting the world alight in the first half, we still managed to get in front at half-time by 1-7 to 0-5 which was encouraging at that stage. "We got it hard to pull away though which was a credit to 'blayney and when they got a goal with about three minutes to go, they really put it up to us. "Luckily enough we went right up the field from the kick-out and Fergal McMahon got through for a great goal which sealed it for us," Val concludes. The all-conquering Harps team was: R Shields; B McQuaid, P Byrne, A Croarkin, C Forde (0-2), C Curley, K Loughran, B Devlin (1-1), S Maguire, D Connolly, M Galligan (0-2), M Dwyer, C Neeson (0-1), E Doherty, F McMahon (1-4). The full panel who did so well all year was as follows: James Cassidy, Conor Forde, Conor Curley, Benin Devlin, Shane Maguire, Paul Burns, Evan Doherty, Ciaran Neeson, Michael Galligan, Colm Galligan, Pauric Murphy, Myles Dwyer, Christopher Carey, Mark Hetherington, Ryan Shields, Fergal McMahon, Anthony Croarkin, Kevin Loughran, Shane Loughran, Brendan McQuaid, Paul Smyth, Donal McCarthy, Brendan Smyth, Christopher McGonnell, Ciaran Lynch, Matthew Kavanagh, Darragh Connolly Harps make history at under 16 level In cinematic parlance, it had all the ingredients of a corny plot but it was real life stuff as the Harps' under 16 footballers put a barren league campaign behind them in surreal style. The squad, managed by Sean McAnespie and mentor Pauric Reilly, failed to win a game in the league but stunned the county thereafter by winning the championship. By the end of July, the Harps signalled quite emphatically that they were turning a new leaf as they delivered a stunning championship display to beat hosts Truagh by 0-13 to 0-8. "Through all the league defeats we kept hammering it into the players that it was the championship, championship, championship," insists team manager Sean McAnespie. "We had lost to Truagh in the second last game of the league so we knew the ground we had to make up and understood that we had a bit of improving to do. "The lads really rose to the challenge though and it was a first round game that set the tone for us in the championship and we never looked back after that. "We wanted the lads to play their hearts out in the league but Pauric (Reilly) and myself weren't too worried from a management point of view about the defeats that we suffered. "We used the league to play fellas in different positions and to get them to improve their skills like breaking the tackle and to play as a team in time for the championship. "The lads got down a bit when we didn't win a single match in the league but we got Peter Vance in and he worked on their mental strength which helped turn things around. "The return from injury of Niall and Liam Hahessy and the addition of a couple of new players worked wonders too in getting us ready for the championship." And a turning point in the year? "I'd have to say that I remember a game we played, away to Donaghmoyne, which we should have won but didn't and that hit us hard. "So we set the fellas down when we arrived home and told them in no uncertain terms what was expected of them and, fair play to them, they responded in a very positive manner." A semi-final meeting with Latton in Ballybay now beckoned; opponents who had won their corresponding league tie by 1-19 to 0-5. Mission impossible? "We got their heads right by the end of the league and their skills levels had improved a lot too because early on a good few of the players hadn't much football played," Sean tells us. "The win over Latton was probably our best game of the year - the lads were highly motivated, made a lot of chances and took most of them." The final saw the Harps make history in Clontibret at the end of August when they edged out (2-4 to 1-6) Castleblayney to win a record sixth successive U16 Championship title. An injury-time point by Peter McFadden was the difference between the sides after an evenly matched game which could have gone either way. The Harps' win was built on a great team spirit and a strong defensive performance with captain Aodhan McAnespie leading by example at centre-back. McAnespie might have been the general on the night but he had able lieutenants all around the field including Charlie McDonald at full-back. Ultimately superbly well-taken goals by Peter McFadden and Niall Hahessy proved crucial. Both teams took a while to settle - not helped by a delay for an unfortunate injury to Blayney's Patrick Finnegan - before the Harps who got the first score on eight minutes with a well-taken free by Ryan Coyle from 40 metres, after Blayney keeper Bart McNamara had saved well from Conor Callan. Following a spell of pressure, Blayney finally got off the mark on 15 minutes with a point from play by Shane McCarthy and Fergal Duffy gave them the lead seven minutes later with a 20 metre free. Blayney at last put some daylight between the teams when McCarthy fired an unstoppable shot to the net to put four points in it. Although they continued to dominate, a mixture of poor finishing and good defending by the Harps stopped them from going further ahead. The Harps then made them pay with a well-worked point by Niall Hahessy (their first score for 21 minutes) and a goal by Peter McFadden when he burst through from well out and blasted home from close range to level it up at half-time, 1-2 each. Blayney retook the lead within 10 seconds of the restart with a point by Daniel Forde but the Harps were soon back on terms with a point by McFadden after a good move involving McAnespie and Callan. A 13 metre free by Duffy and a great point from long-range by McCarthy opened up a two point gap but the defending champions then edged ahead for the first time since the opening score with a brilliant goal by Hahessy after being put through by McFadden. The Faughs tied it up again with a good point by substitute Francis Hughes but two minutes into stoppage time, a McFadden shot crept over the bar despite McNamara's best efforts to stop it. The Blayney keeper then kept his team in it, making a good stop to deny Hahessy a second goal. However the final whistle sounded soon afterwards, leaving the county town still in possession of the Francie Connolly Cup. "We had our backs to the wall for a lot of the game but the lads stuck with it and fair play to them they pulled it off in the end," Sean explains. "Considering we were without Liam Hahessy who was suspended and couldn't start with Fintan Cassidy, the team did brilliantly. "I'd have to say we wouldn't have won without Pauric's (Reilly) advise and help too - he had been there with the squad in '06 and his experience in making changes was invaluable," added the modest team boss. Monaghan Harps (v Castleblayney): Daniel Duffy, Thomas Keelaghan, Charlie McDonald, Niall Clerkin, Paul Kelly, Aodhan McAnespie (Capt.), Gary Bradley, Ethan Devlin, Ryan Coyle (0-1f), Niall Hahessy (1-1), Peter McFadden (1-2), Kevin Martin, Conor Campbell, Conor Callan, James Trappe. Subs used: Fintan Cassidy, Dean McMahon; Seamus Cavlan, Stephen Clerkin, Conall Quinn, Paul Lee, David Ramsay, Sam Maguire, Frankie McCooey, Dean Nixon, Mark Hughes. Minors forge out major win The Harps' minor crew showed immense character and will-to-win to rebound from championship disappointment to claim the MFL title in stirring style. Although exiting the championship at the second round stage at the hands of Castleblayney, the young green and white brigade kept their focus to finish the season with a sprint. By early May, the team had managed to book a semi-final spot in the league, thanks to a series of very consistent and thoroughly professional displays against good opposition. A hard earned victory over Donaghmoyne Fontenoys was followed up by a win over Farney Gaels in a game which arguably saw the team play some of its best football all year. The win over the Gaels was then followed up by a welcome triumph over an admittedly understrength Scotstown team which put up dogged resistance before going under. The victory over An Bhoth came immediately prior to another important and impressive win over Currin/Eire Og combination, St. Enda's. With just two games, an away fixture against Castleblayney Faughs and a home fixture with Clones, remaining to be played, the Harps were very much leading the pack. The squad was bolstered by county minor panellists Gareth Treanor, Emmet McArdle, Conor Galligan, David Hughes, Colm Reilly, Donal Hahessy, Nicholas Scott and Gary White. However the Harps' success in the MFL Division One campaign was much more to do with the collective strength of the panel than the contributions of any one subset of individuals. The semi-final draw pitted the Harps against erstwhile adversaries Donaghmoyne with the game going ahead on July 17th at Gavan Duffy Park. The team-management of Tom Cuddy (team-manager), Brian Lenehan, Michael Buckley, Feargal Kieran, Philip Drohan and physio Peter Vance had their charges well prepared. The homesters did a lot of the spadework in the first half at the end of which they managed to stack up a seven points lead with a real sleeves-rolled-up display. As things panned out, that cushioned lead proved to be more than enough to set the green and whites on their way to a handsome 19 points winning margin, 3-18 to 2-2. According to team-selector Lenehan, there was never any question of the Harps going into the decider against Castleblayney in a complacent mood: "They had beaten us in the championship so it wasn't a major job to get our fellas motivated for the league final," Brian avers. "We had the lads focussed on the final and impressed on them that they had the ability to win but faced a serious challenge nonetheless." The league final went ahead on July 31st with the Harps landing the Shannon Cup by overcoming the Faughs by 2-8 to 0-8 in a cracking county decider. Team captain Gareth Treanor and his team-mates were well worth their win, setting out their stall very early on with every player doing their bit to bring the Cup back to Gavan Duffy. There were many great performances in the final with David Hughes (0-5) and Philip Drohan conspiring to dominate the midfield battles. In defence there were solid performances from Gareth Treanor, Johnny Flynn and Aidan Og McAnespie while Conor Galligan and Mattie Mullen in particular caught the eye. Up front Donal Hahessy and Nicholas Scott were top notch but, in truth, it was a brilliant team performance - not forgetting those on the bench who contributed to the campaign all year "The lads' attitude was right from the very start and we got into an early lead and although there was never any big gap between us. "Robbie Smyth's goal was a timely one in the first half and then when Brian Driver did well, after a scramble, to get the second (goal), we were virtually home and dry." The winning squad (MFL final v Castleblayney Faughs) was as follows: Conall McKenna; Johnny Flynn, Gareth Treanor, Mattie Mullen, Aidan Og McAnespie, Conor Galligan, Emmet McArdle (0-1), David Hughes (0-5), Philip Drohan, Donal Hahessy (0-1), Robbie Smyth (1-0), Nicholas Scott, Brian Driver (1-0), Colm Reilly (0-1), Niall Hahessy. Subs: Gary White, Paul Toal, Daniel Shipley, Colm Shalvey, Mark Mulhall, Mark Campbell, Adam Cullen, Aidan Connell, Bryan McElvaney, Eamon Curley, Lorcan Tumulty, Stephen O'Sullivan, Raymond Treanor, Conor Callan. Tweet

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