Finn Harps apply for senior women’s status as U19s prepare for Cup semi-final

The Finn Harps Women’s underage academy are making further progress on and off the pitch this season as they have applied for a senior team to join the Women’s League of Ireland, and a WU19 FAI Cup semi-final awaits today (Wednesday) against Bohemians.

The young side, managed by Dessie McGlinchey, came through Group 2 in the Cup thanks to huge wins over Sligo Rovers and Mayo, winning 6-1 and 7-3 respectively.

A final defeat to Treaty meant they finished second but reached the last eight, where they received a bye as Galway United failed to travel.

“The Mayo result was huge and then they were missing players around exam time, but they knew they had more or less qualified at that point,” the Head of the Finn Harps Women’s Academy and Under-17 manager Paddy McDaid told DonegalLive.

“Galway couldn’t field a team and didn’t travel, but we’re the only team that doesn’t have a senior women’s team that made the quarter-final.”

The Harps will be disadvantaged as they are allowed to field overage players in the league, but they cannot do so in the cup, so they will be without key duo Erika Gallagher and Codie Walsh.

They’ll look to the likes of Maryanne Ward, Orlaith Doherty, Niamh Ryan and Darcie Kelly to bring the fight on Wednesday evening.

But the luck of the draw also went against them for the final four, as they were drawn away to Bohemians, with the game being played in the Oscar Traynor Centre in Dublin at 7.30pm.

“We’re allowed to play overage players in the league and in the group stage of the cup, but we can’t in the knockout stage, so we’re missing those two, which is huge and will make it very tough on us.

“Bohemians can play senior players as long as they are Under-19, but they will have that senior experience.

“We were also restricted on what age of senior players we could sign this year for the league, but teams with senior clubs can use any age they want against us. We’ve had 30-year-olds playing against us, which can be difficult.

“We’ve had to sign three players for the Under-17s so we can push some players up to the Under-19s, as we don’t have a big squad.

“Bohemians are a serious team, so we will be underdogs, but it’s a huge game for the girls and we’ll use it as a great experience. We’re not going to just make up the numbers, but we’re aware of the challenge ahead.”

That sort of disadvantage is just another small reason as to why the club have been pushing to get a senior team into the league.

Since setting up the Academy and playing their first competitive games in 2023, the Under-19 and Under-17 sides have been competing well, and the end goal has always been to get a club in the senior ranks.

With just one twelve-team league at present in the Women's Premier Division, there have been concrete talks of a second tier coming into fruition next year, as clubs without a senior team, including Finn Harps, and already established clubs that are looking to get a second team, applying to join.

“We have applied for a senior women’s team for next year. We are still waiting on correspondence back on what sort of league there will be. There is talk of a First Division coming in for next year, or at least some sort of second tier.

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“We definitely want to have a senior women’s team next year, whatever league it may be, and we’re waiting on them to clarify in what capacity it will be.

“Other teams like Cobh Ramblers have also already applied to join the league, so the debate is about what teams will make up the league, whether it’s only those who don’t have a senior team or if current Premier Division teams can enter a second team so we’re waiting on clarification.

“A lot of this Under-19 team will next year be moving up to senior level, and they have done very well so it shows we can compete with these teams, and we want there to be something set up for them at Finn Harps.”