It was a mixed end to the season for the Harps, with the ladies winning their first piece of silverware for the club and the men falling agonisingly short in the Intermediate final.

First up was the ladies Junior Shield final. The ladies started off with a flurry of goal chances. Harps struck 3 points without reply. Dalriada had threatened but the Harps defence repelled a number of chances before Dalriada opened their scoring with an unstoppable effort, in off the post.

A number of goal chances for the Harps were snuffed out by solid Dalriada defending but Harps showed their class with another excellent solo goal and three points from play, including a clever fisted point from close range, with Dalriada defenders blocking the route to goal.

Half-time: Tir Conaill Harps 4-03 Dalriada 1-03

Dalriada staged a spirited comeback in the second half and the Harps defence had to stand strong on a number of occasions. The engines in the midfield and forward areas also proved too strong for Dalriada and frustrated chances took their toll.

Harps bravely won a penalty, fighting for a loose ball in the box which was was expertly dispatched and settled any Harps nerves, cementing the lead. Attack and counter attack showed that the Harps defence were mostly dominating and Harps forwards were getting more clinical as the match progressed.

The match ended with a number of Dalriada potential goal chances blocked, Dalriada ending the match by taking a good point. It was a spirited end, but not enough to claw back the Harp’s lead by that point.

The full time whistle was met by jubilant scenes as the ladies picked up their first Scottish LGFA trophy and where crowned Junior Championship Shield winners!

Full-time: Tir Conaill Harps 5-08 Dalriada 3-06

Next up was the mens as they looked to try and retain the Intermediate Championship crown. Connollys made the brighter start, opening the scoring after five minutes before Phil Lambert responded almost immediately to get Harps off the mark.

The Edinburgh side quickly established themselves, however, registering three unanswered points to open up an early advantage.

Harps gradually found their rhythm and began to impose themselves on proceedings. Conair Shannon reduced the deficit in the 18th minute before Ethan Friel added another point less than a minute later.

Lambert continued the resurgence with a well-taken point in the 20th minute, although Harps were left to rue a golden opportunity when he found himself one-on-one with the Connollys goalkeeper but was unable to convert.

Connollys responded with points in the 21st and 29th minutes, while Lambert came agonisingly close to finding the net once again when his effort struck the post on the half-hour mark.

A further Connollys point from a free just before the interval ensured the Edinburgh outfit headed into the dressing room with a four-point advantage.

Half-time: Tir Conaill Harps 0-04 Dunedin Connollys 0-08

Harps emerged for the second half determined to overturn the deficit and almost made the perfect start. Danny McGeever found himself presented with an excellent goal-scoring opportunity early in the half, only to see his effort drift narrowly wide.

Moments later, Dylan Bradley converted from a 45 to give Harps an early second-half boost.

However Connollys restored their half time advantage as they responded with a two-point free in the 36th minute.

Harps refused to allow their opponents to pull away. Bradley produced a fine point from a tight angle to the right of the posts before Darren Collins added another two minutes later, keeping Harps firmly in contention.

Connollys continued to knock over the points to ensure they kept the leadbut the Glasgow men continued to battle for every possession as the contest entered its final stages.

The match took another twist in the 50th minute when Connollys were reduced to fourteen players following a black card. Collins made the most of the resulting period of numerical advantage, converting a free to keep the pressure firmly on the Edinburgh side.

With five minutes of normal time remaining, Harps finally found the breakthrough they had been threatening.

Kieran Turner struck a crucial goal in the 55th minute, breathing new life into the contest and setting up a tense and dramatic finale.

However, just as Harps looked to capitalise on their momentum, they suffered a major setback when Conor McIvor was sent off on the hour mark.

Connollys converted the resulting free to add another point to their tally, leaving Harps with an uphill task in the closing minutes.

Still, the Glasgow side refused to surrender. Darren Collins added another point in the 62nd minute as Harps continued to fight until the very end, however it as Connollys who won the ball from the resulting kickout and as they then seen out the game playing keep ball.

Harps demonstrated tremendous character to recover from a difficult opening period, although missed goal-scoring opportunities ultimately proved costly in a game where fine margins made all the difference.

It was a disappointing end to a fantastic year for the team. A result which will hurt, but the Harps will endeavour to come back next year stronger than ever.

Full Time: Tir Conaill Harps 1-09 Dunedin Connollys 0-13