The Truth about Clonmore Harps

[Proudbogman]

I have seen that club take a lot terrible abuse on this site over the years before I became a member and I would like to clear up a few things firstly the sole reason they except fringe players from orther local clubs is because they are under siege from RHODE GAA and the main enemy BALLINABRACKY GAA IN COUNTY MEATH, who got uncountable offaly players born beard living in offaly to play with them because offaly gaa, leinster council and croke park are to cowardly to stand up to there bully boy tactics they totally disregard the county boundary because they know they can get away with it.at least when players go from clonmore to rhode there still in the same county. The GAA rule is simple live in offaly play in offaly now when this post gos live all the people will come out defending this club and that club but facts are facts try and see past the parish pump politics. The best of luck to RHODE PLAYERS THE BALLINBRACKY PLAYERS AND OF COARSE THE MIGHTY HARPS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. Your a credit to your little area.

[SearingDrive]

Are you saying that it's the lesser of two evils to play for Rhode?, Clonmore are caught between two larger neighbouring clubs, it must be hard to keep players in that situation. Clonmore Harps have been discussed at length on another website.
Re players crossing the boundary to Meath, does current Meath and Ballinabrackey player, Damian Carroll have any Offaly connections, as it is a surname
more associated with South Offaly than than North Offaly. I have to confess that I thought Clonmore were in Rhode parish, until a Clonmore member confirmed they are in fact part of Ballinabrackey parish in Co. Meath. Can I wish them good luck for 2013.

[Lone Shark]

First up, welcome aboard.

I'd disagree with the assertion that Clonmore Harps have taken a lot of abuse on this board however. Most people that would post on here, and indeed people I'd talk to, would have huge admiration for the way they keep going and the fact that they've to put so much effort into making sure that their catchment area is protected, something that a lot of other clubs take for granted. The Harps are a remote outpost in Offaly but they tend to be all the more passionate on account of it and I've always enjoyed going down there, both as a player and as a supporter.

In the general case, the GAA is a richer organisation for the fact that we have big and small clubs but that can't continue if you create a situation where people have free rein to pick and choose who they play for. Parish rule makes sense when it comes to clubs that are all the one parish, but it fails players and clubs when you have parishes straddling county boundaries, or in some cases when you've more than one club in the same area. Certainly the situation where players are born in Clonmore but end up playing for Ballinabrackey is one example of that.

[Harps Man]

Proudbogman,firstly can i say thanks for highlighting the situation that the harps are in,But i have to disagree with you saying that they are under seige from rhode,over the years as far as im aware 4 lads have transfered to rhode from the harps,P Dunne,D Bannon and the 2 Mc Paddens,while 2 have come to clonmore from rhode,and dont forget Dunne and Bannon played and won a championship with the harps. Now what went on in the lead upto the lads looking for transfers to rhode might not have been excatly right and proper,but as far as im concerened its all water under the bridge,what id like to see happen now is more involvement from clonmore in the set up in rhode og,after all rhode og is rhode,croghan and clonmore,not just rhode.


Searingdrive,thanks for the good luck wishes,D Carroll has no connection with offaly,i know his father and 1 of his uncles well,born and bred meath men,i think both his father and uncle played minor and u21 for meath in the 80's.As for that other website,i have kept an eye on that and there is some fairly stupid comments about the harps on it,alot from one guy in particular who claims to be from edenderry and some others from offaly posting comments they heard from a friend or a friend of a friend,very annoying at times the stuff they were saying but gave me a good laugh at other times.

Loan shark,have to agree with you about other members on here,i remember a topic here before about the harps and i have to say i found the majority of the comments supporting the harps,there'll always be a few who dont agree but without them we'd have nothing to discuss! Im not sure if you're aware that the harps brought the issue with ballinabrackey to leinster co this year,bracks chairman and secertary and 5 players were suspended for 48 weeks,they appealed to the ccc,suspensions were overturned,harps appealed that decision to the d.r.a,their result came out a couple of weeks ago,the suspensions dont stand,but from what i read of the ruleing from the dra,leinster co and offaly co board were at fault big time over the whole situation and still no clear ruleing on who was right or wrong.Loan shark,id be interested to hear your's or anyones opnion on the drs'a ruleing,google dra decisions and you'll find it,alot of reading and you'd nearly need a degree in law to understand some of it,but id like to hear others take on it.