Drung made it through to two championship semi-finals in the next three years only to lose in both. When the recession hit Ireland in the mid 80’s Drung and Crosserlough were hardest hit with emigration resulting in a young Drung team being dismantled with the loss of players like the Reilly brothers, Smith brothers, Coyle brothers, Eamon Reilly and Michael Smith to destinations all over the world. Joe added: “I moved to London permanently after that and started playing with Wembley Gaels soon after.” It wasn’t long after Joe’s departure from home that he found himself playing along with his brother Pat in a senior championship semi-final in London with Wembley Gaels where they beat Moindearg by 6 points but the club would be informed of some bad news in the days that followed which eventually saw them being denied a place in the final. Joe explained. “We won the game, but there was an objection to one of our players which resulted in Wembley Gaels being thrown out of the competition. It was a big mistake by the management and things were tough in the club after that.” It led Joe and a few of his fellow Cavan men towards forming their own club a few years down the line. The club was named Harlesden Harps and the
Joe (with cup) celebrates with his son Darren and daughter Lauren (on left)
founders of the club were as follows; George McDermott of Longford, Joe Lynch, Michael Smith, Frank Bannon all of Cavan and Liam Coyle of Tyrone. “We formed the Harlesden Harps in 1990 and got to the junior championship final in 1991. We lost in the final by 1 point to Western Exiles who we beat two weeks previously when I scored a penalty to win the McArdle Cup and bring the first ever silverware to the Harps” he said. Joe went on to say “The following year there was no stopping the Harps as we made a clean sweep in the
Drung’s JFC winners from 1980 with Joe third from left in the back row
Joe on the Harps team from 1991
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championship, league and cup competitions. I was player/manager playing at full back with fellow Drung men Michael Smyth and Sean Coyle, Drumlane duo Jim Gannon and Frank Bannon, Belturbet’s Michael Lawlor and Jimmy McGovern from Blacklion.” After that the intermediate championship would prove a tough assignment for the Harps and they were back in the junior ranks by 1996, when they completed a McArdle Cup and championship double when Joe again played at full back and acted as a selector with the team. During this season we had more Cavan players in Gregory Crowe (Drung), Wayne Hennessy (Kingscourt) and Ian Gorby (Belturbet). After a dry spell the club clinched the Sean Sheils Cup in 2003, with the Murphy Cup to follow in 2004 before the biggest triumph in their short history arrived the following year. “In 2005, we won the intermediate championship,” Joe stated. “We went on from there and won the All Britain Championship and played Monaghan Harps in the All-Ireland quarter-final. They were a strong side. They beat us and I think they went and lost the final to the Kerry champions.” 2005 was undoubtedly a landmark year for the Harps, and for me as team manager, with former Cavan underage star Trent Fitzpatrick of Kildallan proving a profitable asset during a remarkable season for the club. Like so many on the team, Fitzpatrick was sublime in the intermediate final before helping the team reach the All Britain Championship Final against Scottish champions Dunedin Connollys. A hard fought victory over Connollys