May was a tough month for the Harps on the pitch and in terms of results June wouldn’t prove to be much better, however there was much more optimism to be had with the performances on show.

The Scotland GAA Junior League has been a rollercoaster of close encounters and near misses for Tir Conaill Harps with the team showing significant improvement in their outing against Glasgow Gaels second time around, but ultimately goals cost them in this match and they missed out on a win by a 2 goal margin. Full time score: Glasgow Gaels 2-04 Tir Conaill Harps 0-04.

This left Tir Conaill Harps needing to leave with nothing less than a victory against Sands MacSwineys to advance to the final. The boys delivered a thrilling match with the Harps leading by three points at half time however with Sands place in the final in pearl they upped the ante and the second half was a much tighter affair. Sands MacSwineys managed to conjure up a couple of goals to put their noses in front and although the Harps fought back to level the score they couldn’t find the all important winner and the game ended in a draw. Despite a great effort, the team where unfortunately denied a place in the final. Full time score: Tir Conaill Harps 2-10 Sands MacSwineys 3-07.

The Senior/Intermediate League saw Tir Conaill Harps face off against the Glasgow Gaels Senior side in what was a closely contested match and the Harps where well in the game until they got a player sent off. In the end the team fell short by 2 points. Despite the loss, the performance was highly encouraging, against a top tier side. Full time score: Tir Conaill Harps 2-05 Glasgow Gaels 0-13.

In our final fixture the club where unable to field a team against Dunedin Connollys senior side which effectively ruled Harps out of contention for a place in the intermediate final.

Ultimately it was disappointment for both our men’s Junior and Intermediate teams in the League, but there was much to be proud of with the performances on show and much to look forward to heading into the Championship.

Our Ladies Junior team hosted Dalriada in the second round of the Junior League in a spirited contest. The final score was 2-06 to 5-05 in favour of Dalriada, but this result belies the substantial progress made by ladies. Recording their highest score to date, The team have showed tremendous improvement with each passing game, bolstered by the addition of some new players. Their dedication and teamwork are paying off, and we anticipate the team going from strength to strength.

June also saw our youth teams travel to Manchester to compete in the GAA Northern Games. While they may not have brought any trophies back north to Glasgow, the experience was invaluable for the teams and players involved. The young Harps gained essential game time and enjoyed a fantastic event, showcasing the wonderful young talent we have here at Tir Conaill Harps. The youngsters where a credit to the club. Additionally, several Harps players were selected to represent on the Scotland county team, an honour and a testament to the hard work and effort put in by young Harps.

Tir Conaill Harps also held the clubs annual golf day which was a resounding success, with over 76 golfers participating. This event not only provided a fun day out but also raised valuable funds for the club. Celtic legends Joe Miller and Tom Boyd also took part in the event and were special guest speakers at the dinner, giving the attendees a chance to listen to some great personal stories of their former footballing days and the opportunity to ask some questions.

Due to the difficulties faced in the league campaign with the club unable to field full strength teams in a number of games Tir Conaill Harps took the decision to pull out of the Junior Championship and fully concentrate all their efforts on the clubs Intermediate team. As a result of this decision the county board have proceeded to merge both the Scotland GAA Intermediate and Junior Championship to provide more competitive games for all teams involved. The team are now hard at work preparing for the start of the Championship and with the ladies still battling it out in the Junior League the Harps now look forward to what will be ultimately a challenging but exciting campaign on both fronts.