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18 Sept 2025
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18 Sept 2025
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Deele Harps committee members, with an empty seat to honour the late Marty Duffy. Photo: Marty Crawford Photography
Deele Harps ended a long wait when they moved into their new home a fortnight ago.
A 1-1 draw against Drumkeen United on October 8 marked the opening of Marty Duffy Park.
This Sunday, Ballybofey United, who are the early Division 2 pacesetters, visit the newly-developed Ballindrait venue (kick-off 1pm).
Deele Harps was founded in 1980 and, after a nomadic few years between the Lifford Athletic Club and Deele College in Raphoe, the club now has its own home again.
“It was always our aim to get back to the wee village again,” Deele Harps Chairperson Shane Gallagher told Donegal Live. “There is a great buzz back again.”
The new pitch was developed by William Coyle of Pitch Dimensions and was greatly aided by Sports Capital funding of €108,500.
The Deele Harps squad. Photo: Marty Crawford Photography.
Last August, Marty Duffy, a stalwart of Deele Harps, tragically drowned while on a family holiday. His footprints were left in many strands of Donegal football. He was joint manager of the Donegal Schoolboys League 2007 team that competed in the Kennedy Cup and Foyle Cup tournaments last summer, served on the Donegal Junior League committee as the Lifford Area Representative and was to the fore in a recent redevelopment of the Diamond Park in Ballyare.
The club named their new abode after a man who served as its guiding light for so long. Fittingly, too, it was Jordan Duffy - Marty's son - who scored the first goal on the new pitch, riffling home a penalty against Drumkeen after Corey Lindsay was brought down.
Gallagher said: “The downside for us was that Marty wasn’t there to take it all in. His work was so good. Only for Marty, the club would’ve folded. He was a real driving force behind it.”
The senior team is now under the management of Damien Gallagher and Conor Catterson. The club counts Paul Hegarty and Barry Curran as players from its production line who have gone on to play senior football.
Now, there are plans to build further.
Gallagher said: “We have the buzz back in now and we’ll hope to get the underage set up soon too. It’s definitely onwards and upwards for Deele Harps now.”
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