Kingscourt Harps AFC

Kingscourt Harps identity

Kingscourt Harps AFC is a County Cavan football club based at College Group Park, Mount St Joseph, on the Nobber Road in Kingscourt. The club was founded in September 1998 and now carries a strong red, black and white identity.

The present club picture covers boys and girls underage football, senior men, senior women and a large facilities story. The harp crest, the 1998 date and the College Group Park base make the club easy to recognise.

College Group Park

College Group Park is the home ground for Kingscourt Harps. It is connected with Mount St Joseph on the Nobber Road, giving visiting teams a clear Kingscourt travel anchor.

The ground has grown from early grass field football into a year round community facility. Parents and away teams should still confirm the pitch, entrance, surface, parking and changing arrangements before travelling.

Ground anchor: College Group Park, Mount St Joseph, Nobber Road, Kingscourt, County Cavan.

The early ground story

The Harps installed their first pitch in 1999 and opened the clubhouse in 2001. Floodlights followed in 2007, with former Ireland goalkeeper Packie Bonner involved in switching them on.

Those early milestones explain why the club’s ground is central to its identity. The Harps did not only organise teams; they built a place where the football could keep growing.

Modern 3G pitch upgrade

The major 3G pitch upgrade moved the ground into a new phase. The project received €174,411 through the Sports Capital Equipment Programme and had an overall cost of about €275,000.

The upgrade replaced the existing carpet with a FIFA quality tested system, including a shock pad and synthetic carpet. By September 2025 the new surface was already becoming a central part of weekly football at the club.

Club22 community room

Club22 is the upstairs community room overlooking the pitch. It has a kitchen, seating and windows across the football area, giving families and supporters a place to gather while the club remains active below.

The room has been used for birthdays, discos, jiving nights and movie nights. That makes it more than a football viewing area; it is part of how the Harps connect the wider Kingscourt community to the ground.

Changing rooms and match operations

The clubhouse upgrade expanded the building from a bungalow into a two storey facility. It now has four changing rooms with showers, instead of two, and a dedicated referee room with shower facilities.

That helps a busy club run several sessions and matches close together. Coaches, referees, players and families all benefit when changing, parking and pitch access can be managed from the same ground base.

Scale of the club today

Kingscourt Harps now has a large football base. Recent club figures name 450 registered players, 80 children aged 6 to 11, 14 Cavan Monaghan underage teams, two senior men’s teams and one ladies team.

Those numbers show why the ground development matters. A club of that size needs more than one team pitch; it needs reliable surfaces, volunteers, coaches, changing space, parking and a community room.

Girls football growth

Girls football has grown sharply at Kingscourt Harps. Club figures describe a move from 15 girls to 140 over five years, which changes the shape of the whole pathway.

That growth is visible in the current season picture, where girls teams appear from under 12 and under 13 through under 16 and youth girls football. The family message is clear: girls football is a major part of the club.

Boys football route

The boys route also covers several age bands. The 2026 to 2027 season view includes under 12, under 13, under 14, under 15 and under 16 boys entries, including black and red squad labels where age groups split.

Squad labels can change by season, so families should use the player’s year of birth and school year first. The team contact can then explain which colour group, training slot and registration choice apply.

Women’s honours

Kingscourt Harps women have a strong recent record. The senior women won a league and cup double in 2020 to 2021, retained the league title in 2022 and then lifted the Leinster FA Women’s Junior Shield in 2023.

The Leinster Shield final ended 5 nil against St John Bosco at the AUL Bowl. Amy Rooney scored a hat trick, with Aisling Cunningham and Ceadaoin Patterson also scoring.

Leanne Kiernan pathway example

Leanne Kiernan is an important pathway example for Kingscourt families. She trained and competed with boys at the club as a young player before moving into the wider game.

That kind of story is useful when a parent asks whether a local club can challenge a talented player. It does not promise the same route for everyone, but it does show the standard a small town pathway can help start.

FAI award history

Kingscourt Harps received the FAI Club of the Year award in 2010. That milestone sits alongside the club’s ground development and the later growth of women’s, girls and underage football.

For families, the award history helps explain the club’s ambition. The Harps have not only added teams; they have kept investing in standards, facilities and a community base.

Kit and colour identity

The current kit identity is simple. The home kit is black jersey, black shorts and black socks. The away kit is a red jersey with black shorts and black socks.

The badge brings those colours together: red name arcs, black edging, a black harp, a white central field and the split 19 and 98 foundation date.

The crest and what it carries

The crest reads Kingscourt on the upper red arc and Harps AFC on the lower red arc. The harp sits in the centre, while the 1998 foundation date is split between 19 on the left and 98 on the right.

It is a distinctive mark because it does not need extra detail. Red, black, white, the harp and the 1998 date give the club a clear identity at a glance.

Main contact routes

Dominic Sheenan is named as secretary for the North Eastern Regional League contact route. The adult football contact group also includes Noel Sherlock, James Hand and Thomas Gargan.

A first football message should include the player name, year of birth, school year, pathway, previous experience and whether the question is about boys, girls, ladies or men’s football.

Funding and volunteer drive

The facilities were built through grants, local support and volunteer effort. Since June 2022, more than €650,000 has been invested in the grounds, with Sports Capital and CLÁR funding helping alongside local businesses and families.

Club members have also helped with practical work and fundraising. That matters because a pitch, clubhouse, car park and community room need people as much as they need money.

Pitch fundraising ideas

The 3G pitch effort brought several fundraising ideas together. The patron programme aimed for 100 members, each paying €20 a month, with a monthly draw. Other activity included a Carrauntoohil hike, Pitch in for the Pitch squares and a Jail and Bail fundraiser.

Those details show how a grassroots club fills the gap between grants and the full cost of work. Every fundraiser helped keep the project moving toward a facility that many teams can use.

Synthetic pitch use

The new surface was described with a working life of at least ten years and capacity for 30 to 35 hours of play each week. That is important for a club with hundreds of players and many coaches.

Maintenance is different from grass. The surface does not need mowing, but it still needs brushing, leaf clearing and care. Planned LED floodlighting would also help reduce running costs.

Planning a first visit

A first visit should be planned around College Group Park and the team instruction. Arrive early enough to find the car park, identify the pitch, meet the coach and check whether changing rooms are open.

Bring boots suited to the synthetic surface, shin guards, water and weather gear. If the visit is for a young player, ask where parents should stand and where players are collected after the session.

Visitor guide for away teams

Away teams should confirm College Group Park, the pitch surface, the entrance and whether Club22 or the changing areas are open for that fixture. A modern ground can still have different arrangements by age group and time.

The practical checks are simple: pitch, footwear, parking, warm up space, changing rooms, toilets and who to call if the team is delayed. Confirming those details keeps match day calm.

What defines Kingscourt Harps

Kingscourt Harps is defined by its 1998 foundation, College Group Park, red and black colours, harp crest, major 3G investment, Club22, girls football growth and senior routes for men and women.

For families, the club offers a large pathway in a strong facility. For players, it offers a place where underage football, senior football and community life all meet beside the same pitch.