Dara McGuinness betting on hard work to pay off at Finn Harps

There’s a certain rhythm to the footballing life that takes a while to get used to. You train, you play, you train again. You win, you lose, you learn. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world or how fancy the training ground showers are. That’s just the way of it. 

Dara McGuinness is learning that all over again at Finn Park. The 20-year-old striker arrived at Finn Harps this season with the miles of a footballing journey already in his legs. From St Joseph’s to Belvedere, onto St Pat’s Academy and Shamrock Rovers B, across the water to Stoke City, with a loan spell at Leek Town thrown in for good measure. And now, Ballybofey. 

“I’m settled in at this point, I’m enjoying it,” McGuinness says. “I knew Shane Elliot before I came to the club and that was probably my link to Harps.  

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“I wanted to go to a club and play more senior football and get games under my belt, and so far, I’ve been enjoying it.” 

A new club, a new challenge, a new test. Harps boss Darren Murphy made no secret of his admiration for McGuinness when he arrived, seeing in him the kind of hungry, technically astute centre-forward the team needed.  

There’s a youthful exuberance about this Harps squad, and McGuinness has slotted right in, establishing himself after netting his first goal for the club away to Treaty United two weeks ago. 

“I met up with Murph when I came here, and he was just brilliant. He just spoke to me about the future ahead and about doing as best we can. I keep hearing that we have a young side but it’s a good side, the main thing is we just have to start getting a few results.” 

Results. The thing that makes or breaks a season. Performances can lift spirits, but points change fortunes. So far, the table hasn’t been too kind to Harps, but McGuinness is taking the long view. 

“Look, we haven’t found the results yet, but on a positive note, we’ve put in a few decent performances and no doubt if we keep doing what we’re doing, the results will come.” 

That kind of patience isn’t always a luxury players get at a club like Finn Harps, where expectation and frustration often mix into one indistinguishable cloud. But if McGuinness is feeling any pressure, he’s keeping it at bay. 

“There’s probably a bit of pressure around the club at the minute, but I haven’t been feeling any from the supporters anyway, I suppose that’s a good thing that I haven’t been too much in the eye.” 

It helps, of course, that McGuinness has already played at a high level. His time at Stoke City’s U21s gave him an education in the tactical and technical demands of the game, but now, he’s experiencing a different footballing reality. 

“I was with the Stoke U-21s before I came here. I suppose it’s different football in that in England it was academy football that I was involved with, whereas this is men's football, so it’s naturally going to be different.” 

Different, yes. But no less demanding. The games come thick and fast, and Friday night brings the next test. The preparation is constant, and the focus unwavering. 

“From what I know we have a fully fit team ahead of the match on Friday. We have one more session now on Thursday, then we’ll go in and plan how we’re going to set up and prepare for the game as best we can and try and get a result.” 

That’s all they can do. Train, play, train again. Win, lose, learn. And if they keep at it long enough, the results will come. At least, that’s what Dara McGuinness is banking on.