Harping On – “Race Rubber Ducks on the River or Have a Flutter on What Sector of a Field a Cow Will Poop In”

Aidan McNelis speaking at the Villa Rose Copyright © Clare McCahill 2024

It starts with us. To deliver this stadium we need a broadly based community effort. We need people to sign up as New Stadium Patrons, we need people to donate both once offs and regularly. We need ideas but more than that we need doers and sellers. We have a tremendous opportunity in front of us, a once off chance to deliver a stadium worthy of our club, our fans, our community and of the contribution sport in general and football in particular make to our society. To do this we show the world we are committed to making this happen. Let us create a story together that demonstrates to the world what this club, what our home place, what our community and heritage and history mean to us and our determination to build a better future for our young players, fans and volunteers.
We need big draws and wee draws and table quizzes, fashion shows and concerts. Race rubber ducks on the river or have a flutter on what sector of a field a cow will poop in. We need bucket collections, sponsored head shaves, coffee mornings, marathon runners and sponsored walkers. Everything big and small, conventional as well as wild and wonderful. We need grim determination to succeed and a joyful embrace of the challenge before us. It’s history in the making, a chance to be part of one of the most important moments in the annals of a great club. A club with a story as unlikely and as wild as any in the game. A club based in a small town in a rural county on the edge of the world that has nevertheless outlived dozens of rivals in bigger towns and cities too.
We need petty grudges and ancient grievances set aside as we turn our eyes to the future potential instead of past irrelevances. We need real excitement about what we can deliver and what we can achieve together. Whatever we might have, should have, could have done differently is of no consequence now. The goal is a facility that will provide a superb match night experience for home and visiting fans, that will be a community asset capable of hosting many and varied occasions. A home that will be accessible and inclusive to all. Eyes on the prize now, we cannot, must not be denied.
This goes beyond Finn Harps and even beyond football. This about sport and community and the idea that yes, Donegal can and should have nice things. Our time is now- we can do this, we will do this.
Show the world who we are. Show them our grit and imagination and unity. Tell a story the football family, the business community and the wider world can’t help but listen to and get behind. Because if we do, they will back us too, and the big dreams we dare to dream now can be made real.
But it has to start with us.

General donation linkhttps://www.idonate.ie/forms/HarpsStadiumDonation

Patron donation linkhttps://www.idonate.ie/forms/HarpsStadiumPatron

For commercial assets contact: [email protected]

For volunteering opportunities contact: [email protected]