Club Colours: Purple and Gold

The name Derrygonnelly (Doire Ó gConaile), when translated, means ‘The Oak Wood of O’Connolly’
The Harps’ playing complex is about half a mile outside the village. Canon Maguire Park comprises of the main playing field, a full size training pitch, a spacious changing room complex, a meeting room and a covered stand,(Fermanagh’s first, opened in 1999).
The club draws its players from the parish of Botha, taking in the areas of Boho, Monea and Derrygonnelly itself.
The club was founded in 1924, with a Sligo man called John O’Grady RIP one of the key movers in getting the club started. The club fielded its first Minor team in 1937, led by club member Eamon Maguire RIP. There followed a lapse and the club was to reform once again in 1948 under the influence of Michael Farrell, Eugene Cassidy and Tom Fee RIP. The Harps went senior in 1953 and were to experience glory at this level in 1959 when they became league champions by defeating Aghadrumsee on a scoreline of 2-5 to 1-4. Key figures on this team included Louis McGullion, Frank Gaffney, Joe Smyth, Raymond Dundas and Eamon Flanagan.
The club’s health since those days has always been good, safeguarded by a very positive grounds development programme (see later). Successes included Intermediate Championships in 1963 and 1970, a Junior League in 1976 (the Seniors lost the league final the same year.). By this stage, Boho St Fabers GFC, Junior Championship winners themselves in 1965, had amalgamated with the Harps. Senior and Junior titles were won in Division 2 in 1992, followed by what was undoubtedly the finest day in the history of the Harps, the Senior Championship win of 1995. The side that day was captained by Sean Flanagan and managed by Hugh Kelly and Donal Fee. The Harps lost League Division One Finals in 1995 and 1997 before claiming the title once more as 2002 League champions captained by Kevin Cassidy.

The club purchased Sandhill Fields, later named as Canon Maguire Park, in 1958. The new pitch was officially opened on May 13th 1962.
The pitch was redeveloped as a Prunty Pitch in 1985. The present dressing room complex was opened in 1987. Intervening years saw the addition of ball stops, a scoreboard, the spectator stand and most recently in 2002, the new training field.

Underage coaching has been an area where the Harps have worked particularly hard in the last decade and they have been rewarded with three Under 12 titles (97-99), three Under 14 titles (1999-2001), an Under 16 double (2001) and a first Minor Championship in 2002.

Father Figures
Eamon Maguire RIP and Michael Farrell were two clubmen who were massively active at committee level, having also played huge roles in virtually all major developments in the history of our club (Eamon since 1937 and Michael since 1948).
Recent chairmen who have overseen pitch and youth development include Sean Smyth, Francis Rasdale and Donal Fee.
Charlie Farmer RIP. was club treasurer until his death in 2001 and managed this aspect of club affairs through a lot of huge investment initiatives.

Fermanagh’s 1959 All Ireland Junior team included Harps man Hugh Flanagan, later representatives on various county teams included,amongst others, Eamon Flanagan, Ray Dundas, Hugh Kelly, Frank Cassidy, Tony Gallagher, Aidan Jones, Donal Fee, up to Paul Greene, Martin Greene and Dermot Feely on the 2002 Fermanagh Championship Panel. The club has supplied a lot of players on successful St. Joseph’s and St. Michael’s College squads, and the underage success being enjoyed by the club is in no small measure a result of work put in at youth level by coaches such as Brendy Rasdale, Michael Glynn, Pat McGurn and Francis Ward.