Monaghan Harps Lotto: The numbers for last Sunday's draw were 7, 19, 25 and 27. Jackpot of €4,400 not won. The four €40 lucky-dip prize winners were: Ann Treanor c/o herself; Matt McCaughey c/o himself; Eileen Morgan c/o herself; and Oisín Finlay c/o Joe Finlay (Hurling Club). The sellers' prize of €20 was won by Jim Dalton. Jackpot for Sunday, May 16 is €4,500. The club is asking members willing and financially able to contribute through our lotto towards club maintenance and running expenses. This can be done by two options: set up a standing order to our club lotto via quarterly or annual payments or using our new club app by downloading 'ClubZap' on your phone, registering as a Monaghan Harps GAA Club member and buying club lotto in bulk or on a weekly basis. Anyone interested can contact either Rose Donnelly (086 0825782); Maria McKenna (086 1057725) or Adrian Dalton (087 7859582). Thanks to everyone for their continued support for our lotto, which plays an integral part for the club. Please note that the cut-off point for ClubZap each week is 6pm on Sunday, while physical tickets should be with the lotto committee by 9pm.
Return to play: We are delighted to welcome back all our players to non-contact training. Thanks to everyone who has kept our pitches in great condition and to our coaches and Covid supervisors for their efforts in getting things underway again after a long wait. A provisional start date of June 7 has been proposed for the return of competitive games for juveniles. Reserve competitions are due to commence in early June, once restrictions are lifted, with Senior and U-19 competitions both set to start in late June.
Saturday-morning coaching: Our Saturday-morning coaching has resumed after a long wait, with great numbers of our youngest juvenile players enjoying the return over the last two weeks. We ask all parents to wear a mask where appropriate and to practice social distancing. We would also ask parents to go to the stand during training and not to congregate on the pitch or around the gate. We want to ensure that Monaghan Harps is a safe (Covid-free) environment and your co-operation is fully appreciated. Thanks to everyone involved.
Registration: Registration fees for 2021 can now be paid via the Foireann system or on ClubZap. Fees are as follows: U-11s €20; juveniles/seniors €30; family membership €60. You can also renew your membership by contacting club registrar Kevin Treanor (087 6496994) or treasurer Rose Donnelly (086 0825782). Please note that all juvenile and adult players must be paid-up members. With fundraising remaining limited, your support is greatly appreciated during these times.
Club meeting: The club's monthly meeting for May was held last week using Zoom. Thanks to the club members who took part online and to the committee for facilitating the meeting and for their ongoing efforts on behalf of our club.
Sympathy: At last week's online meeting, the club passed votes of sympathy to the families of Esther McManus, Madge McGinnity and Jason McElvaney. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha.
National Club Draw: The 2021 National Club Draw will take place next month, with prizes including a Renault Clio, €2,000 cash and All-Ireland Hurling & Football Final packages. For anyone who has sold a book of tickets, please drop them into the letterbox at our clubhouse and contact Rose Donnelly. Please return all tickets as soon as possible. All proceeds go directly into the running of our club. As fundraising opportunities remain limited, your support is greatly appreciated.
Cúl Camp: We will again be hosting a Kellogg's Cúl Camp this summer from July 5-9. Register now at gaa.ie/kelloggsculcamps.
DIL: The Darkness Into Light event for 2021 took place on a virtual basis in the early hours of last Saturday morning. Well done to everyone who took part by walking/running/donating towards a very successful fundraiser for Pieta House and raising awareness around mental health. Monaghan Harps are proud to have been involved with DIL since 2014 and we will continue to support this initiative.
Referee recruitment: Monaghan GAA recently launched an appeal for new referees. It is proposed that the basic Level 1 course be delivered as follows: two modules online and two in classroom form when circumstances allow. Please contact any committee member if you are interested in getting involved.
Club app: As well as offering an option to support our lotto, our new club app also has a function to pay your annual membership, make financial donations to the club, as well as a communication suite for all that goes on at the club. You can get involved by downloading 'ClubZap' on your phone and registering as a Monaghan Harps GAA Club member.
Hurling:
Juveniles: The second training of the juvenile season took place on Sunday and we were delighted with the numbers that turned out- it made all of the planning and effort worthwhile. Check out our social media channels for some photos from the session and to see our Hurler of the Week!
We hope that all of our juvenile players enjoyed the session and we look forward to seeing you next Sunday at 11.30. (Please note the changed time)
As always, new members are very welcome to attend. Our youngest group is the 6-10-year-olds, which has plenty of space for new members!
Referees required: We are putting out a request to anyone who would be interested in becoming a referee to get in contact with a club member. The number of hurling referees in Monaghan is quite low and referees are needed to facilitate all competitions running smoothly which gives consistent games for all age groups!
