As you may all be aware, myself and my good friend Joe Doherty, have published a new book, that features every player to have played a competitive game for Finn Harps. The Book was launched earlier this month and is now available in the following locations Alexanders in Ballybofey and Bookmark in Letterkenny Shopping Centre. If you email [email protected] we can also arrange to post one out to you.
Two snapshots in time for you. I do not know exactly when the first picture was taken, but believe it was taken during the 1980/81 season, based on the kit that the three players are wearing. The second picture, which was taken by Joe Boland of NorthWest Newspix, was taken at the book launch of We are the Harps earlier this month.
Both pictures show Joe Logan on the left, Con McLaughlin in the middle and Shaun Boyle on the right. I suspect the reason that the earlier picture was because of the connection between the three men all hailing from Ramelton and having previously played for Swilly Rovers in their native town.
Joe Logan was the first to join Finn Harps in January 1975. He had come from Sligo Rovers, in an exchange deal that Paul “Ski” McGee join Sligo. Joe was part of the teams in 1975/76 and 1977/78 that finished runners up in the League. He was top scorer on two occasions in the 1979/80 and 1980/81 seasons. He was capped for the League of Ireland in 1980. Joe made a total of 213 appearances scoring 52 goals.
Con McLaughlin joined Finn Harps in the summer of 1978. He had signed from Swilly Rovers where he was one of the top goalscorers in the Donegal League. He had been capped at both Youth and Junior Level for the Republic of Ireland and added an amateur cap during his time at Finn Harps. Con was top scorer in the League of Ireland First Division on four occasions and in his testimonial year topped the scoring lists with nineteen goals. Con made a total of 390 appearances scoring 138 goals.
Shaun Boyle joined Finn Harps, from Swilly Rovers, in the late nineteen seventies and played for the reserve side in the Donegal League before breaking into the first team in November 1979. Shaun remained at Harps for six seasons before moving to Derry City when they entered the League of Ireland. He had a brief spell in the Brandywell before re-joining Swilly Rovers. He returned to Harps in the summer of 1988 and stayed for another year before leaving for Swilly Rovers again. Shaun made 151 appearances.
