The Finn Harps 1st team squad and coaching staff enjoyed a fantastic bank holiday weekend on Arranmore Island as preparations for the new season continued apace.
The first step on the weekend was to meet in the Radisson Hotel in Letterkenny for breakfast. Hotel Manager and Harps fan Paul Byrne was there to greet the squad along with his son Michael who got presented with a Harps training top to thank them for the hospitality.
Breakfast on board, the group then made its way westwards to Central Park, the home of our friends at Keadue Rovers, who kindly offered their facilities for the first training session of the camp. Huge thanks to Chairman James Boyle for the warm welcome and to everyone attached to Keadue Rovers FC, a famous name in Donegal football. A quick cup of tea and some photos presenting a couple of James’ girls with a couple of match balls and it was swiftly away to nearby Burtonport to catch the Red ferry across to Donegal’s football Island, Arranmore which would be the squads base for two nights.
Following on from last year’s maiden trip, huge thanks are due once again to Arranmore legend and long-time Finn Harps fan Jerry Early for all of his help and organising as well as his wife Pat and family. A quick bite of lunch in Jerry’s bar before the bus took us over to Rannagh Park, home of the Island’s Junior football team Arranmore Utd, for the 2nd tough training session of the day. We were joined at the coastal venue by some familiar faces – a group of young Finn Harps fans, who we met at the same stage last year and were once again interested spectators on the lookout for some new and familiar faces.
At the end of the session and before dinner it was into the icy waters of the Atlantic to help recover the muscles after a solid first day’s work. A fantastic dinner followed by a team meeting and it was an early night for the squad who bunked together in the hostel close to the pier. The next morning it was up bright and early, refuel with breakfast and back over to Rannagh for another gruelling session. In the afternoon time was set aside for a meet and greet with a large crowd of local people including lots of the island kids. It was notable how many more turned up this year than last year – a sign of the growing friendship between the club and the island. More photos taken, more autographs signed and finally a penalty kick competition made for a hugely enjoyable afternoon which may even have been enjoyed more by the Harps squad than the kids themselves. A real top-notch, wholesome gathering.
Dinner was followed by a string of initiation songs as our own club DJ Paddy McDaid called up the new faces to the squad to deliver some good (and not so good!) efforts at karaoke. Backroom staff member Eoin Logue stole most the plaudits for crooning out a faultless version of Frank Sinatra’s ‘That’s Life’ to a shocked and impressed audience.
However, the highlight of the performances undoubtedly came from local lad and Harps fan Séan Boyle, who turns a big 18 this weekend. Séan was joined on stage by the whole group for a raucous version of Wagon Wheel to truly bring the house down. Happy birthday Séan once again from all your friends at Finn Harps FC.
One final intense running and stretching session was squeezed in before we said our fond farewell to the island and headed back to the mainland. Our club cannot thank the people of Arranmore and Keadue enough for the amazing hospitality that we received all weekend. The benefits of this trip can be far reaching and influential as we face into another season in the League of Ireland representing our wonderful county in senior football. The team bonding, fitness, tactics, messaging and perhaps even more importantly, the ever-increasing friendships with the Donegal football community.
The 2025 season is fast approaching. Bring it on! Up the Harps
