Stewartstown Harps GFC

Stewartstown Harps is a Gaelic Athletic Association club which was founded in 1912 and based in the village of Stewartstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The club plays its games in Mullaghmoyle park.

Stewartstown Harps
An Chraobh na Cláirseacha
Founded:1912
County:Tyrone
Nickname:The Harps
Colours:White and Red
Grounds:Mullaghmoyle Park
Coordinates:54°33′58.01″N 6°41′21.60″W
Playing kits
Standard colours
Senior Club Championships
All Ireland Ulster
champions		 Tyrone
champions
Football: 0 0 2

History

Stewartstown Harps was founded in 1912. The Harps reformed in 1923 and won the first of their two Tyrone Senior Football Championship a year later in 1924. The harps also won the league the same year.

Stewartstown Harps then went out of existence and it wasn’t until 1954 when the club would reform. The club has been playing ever since this reformation.

The next Major honour for the harps would be the Tyrone Senior Football Championship in 1962 when they met local rivals derrylaughan in the final winning on a scoreline of 3-3 to 0-3

Along with the senior championship, an intermediate league was won in 1964 along with senior league titles in 1971, 1973, & 1975 and A senior championship final appearance to Ardboe coming in between in 1972. This was undoubtedly Stewartstown Harps most successful period in their history.

A Tyrone Intermediate Football Championship triumph in 1980 would be the last championship title for the harps until 2004 when they won the Tyrone Junior Football Championship.

Stewartstown also won the Ulster Junior Club Football Championship in 2004, beating Cremartin in the final.[1] The Harps went on to qualify for the All-Ireland final, but were outclassed by Finuge.[2]

In 2006, the Harps regained promotion to Senior Football after a period of 26 years by winning there 2nd intermediate championship. In 2009 they were again relegated to junior, but the team went on a successful run in the league in 2010, only beaten once. In the championship Stewartstown made it to the final against local rivals Killyman. The Harps lost the final by just one point.

Promoted to intermediate football in 2011, the harps would stay in the division for the next 10 years until being relegated again in 2021.

Winning the Junior league title in 2022 would be their next honour going undefeated in the process. That would then be followed up by winning the Tyrone Junior Football Championship defeating Aghaloo by 2–12 to 0–12 in the final.[3] Following wins against Teconnaught And Letterkenny Gaels, the Harps would play Drumlane in the Ulster Junior final.[4] Stewartstown came out on top after a penalty shoot-out to win their second title.[5] In January 2023, Stewartstown beat Clifden in the All-Ireland semi-final to set up a final date with Fossa.[6] The All-Ireland took place on 15 January 2023. Fossa won the match by 0–19 to 1–13 in a bad-tempered game which featured six red cards, including four for Stewartstown.[7]

Honours

Facilities

Mullaghmoyle Park

Since the Clubs reformation in 1957, the Harps based its facilities in the townland of Mullaghmoyle just outside the village of Stewartstown.

In 2005. A new pavilion was built to replace the existing one which was built in 1974.

In 2011, the 2nd phase of the Harps redevelopment plan was completed when a second floodlit pitch which is seen as one of the best in Tyrone, was officially opened by the GAA President Christy Cooney.

In 2022, the 3rd phase of redevelopment got underway with a 2nd parallel pitch being laid, Car parking, Turnstiles, Gym and Play park. This is all to completely modernise Mullaghmoyle Park.

Website

References
  1. "Stewartstown fight back to take title". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  2. "Galvin goal powers Finuge to deserved All-Ireland glory". Irish Examiner. 29 March 2005. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  3. "Harps Annex Championship to Complete Double". TeamTalkMag. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  4. "Stewartstown's finishing proves too much for Letterkenny in Ulster JFC semi-final". The Irish News. 21 November 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  5. "Stewartstown are just the ticket after lottery of penalty hands them Ulster junior title". The Irish News. 27 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  6. "Stewartstown Harps pull clear of Clifden in extra-time to set up All-Ireland JFC final date with Fossa". Irish Independent. 7 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  7. Fogarty, John (15 January 2023). "David Clifford leads Fossa to All-Ireland club glory in ill-tempered final". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
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