Donnelly hangs up his gloves after sparkling career at Harps

IT SAYS something about Dermot Donnelly when he states his greatest ever achievement was never getting sent off.

In a competitive career spanning a remarkable 20 years, the Strathroy Harps goalkeeper has never once been sent for an early bath.

Following a serious injury to his left ankle in a game against Tummery Athletic in the final game of the season, the Harps number one, at the ripe old age of 39, has decided to hang up his gloves.

It was somewhat ironic that Donnelly should bow out at Crawford’s Lane given that’s where he made his competitive debut for Tummery Reserves at a time when Strathroy Harps was but a pipe dream.

Harps though was formed in 2002 and Donnelly has been on that journey every step of the way – and has the medals to prove.

The charismatic stopper has practically won the lot including a hat-trick of Mulhern Cup and Reihill Cup medals not to mention being part of the glory years when Harps won back-to-back Junior Cups in 2012 and 2013.

Yet never ever seeing red was his first thought when he reflects on his long and distinguished career.

“People always ask me what my highlights where but you know the proudest thing for me is never getting sent off,” he said.

“Aside from that you can’t look past the back-to-back Junior Cup successes and the first Mulhern Cup when we defeated Fintona Swifts on penalties in 2007.

“We were a Division Two team at the time and I doubt if too many, if any, Division Two teams have won the Mulhern. We defeated Enniskillen Town United in the semis and they went on to win the Mercer and the Junior Cup that same year. We stopped them doing the treble.

“Some of the best days of my life have been in a Harps changing room, winning trophies with your mates. That’s hard to explain to some people.
“I’m disappointed to be calling it a day but I’m not bitter about it at all, I’m quite content. That’s the way it goes sometimes, there are better players than me had to quit football far earlier.”

Considered by many as one of the good guys of local football, Donnelly is a Strathroy man, born and bred, and has been the ultimate clubman since joining the Harps as a promising teenager.

He’s played first team and reserve team football over the past two decades and has even dipped his toes in the management side of things.

Growing up in the ‘Roy, Dermot admits that he knew little else only playing football.

“Growing up in Strathroy was like growing up in Brazil, everybody was mad about football and the worst player had to go into goals,” he joked.

“I grew up playing football with the likes of Benny McElholm, Linny (Seamus Fanthorpe) and Paddy Colton – a player with a great touch who simply oozed class – and others.

“As a player I played under numerous managers and learned a lot from all of them. The best was probably Linny because he brought more professionalism to the party and challenged us to take things to the next level.”

While Donnelly is hanging up his gloves he intends to remain involved with the club and in the coming season will be standing on the side line alongside Paul McCabe and manager Benny Boyle, when the manager is not playing.

He’s looking forward to working under Boyle, who he believes has steered Harps back on the right path following a few mediocre years compared with the club’s own high standards.

“Boyler has done a lot of good things since he has taken over,” added the goalkeeper, who rates his best performance as the man of the match display against Enniskillen Town in the quarter-finals of the Junior Cup in the season just finished..

“You can see some resemblance to Linny. He demands a higher level of professionalism, has a number of younger players coming through the ranks and right now things are looking promising for the club.”

Later in the year Donnelly is set to have an operation on his injured ankle but beyond that his football journey is something of an open book.

When asked about going into management or even adminstration, he replied, “I never say never, you just don’t know what’s around the corner. Friends of mine are encouraging me to take up refereeing but again it’s something I’d never rule out.”

Whatever the future holds for Dermot, there is no doubt that local football and Harps in particular have been all the richer for his immense contribution as a player.