John Haran

John Haran (born c. 1970) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for Naomh Adhamhnáin and the Donegal county team.[2] He definitely has 8 Donegal Senior Football Championships (though the first one is a matter of some dispute).[3] He also has a hat-trick of Donegal Senior, Senior "B" and Senior "C Championships, adding the C" in 2019.

Not to be confused with John Harron.
John Haran
Personal information
Sport Gaelic football
Occupation Principal of St Bernadette's Special School
Club(s)
Years Club
1995–[1]
 Naomh Adhamhnáin
Club titles
Donegal titles 8[1]
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1990s–2000s
 Donegal

Early life

The son of a Garda from County Sligo, Haran was born in and grew up in County Donegal.[4]

He learned his trade on the St Eunan's College fields, adjacent to the legendary Gaelic stronghold of Hawthorn Heights (Harans, Eamonn and Niall Doherty, Conal Gibbons, Barney McDermott, as well as Seamie Nallen, John Anderson, Karl Campbell and Packie Gibbons) and other members of the very successful Glencar Street League teams who, under the guidance of Seamus Haran and Martin Anderson, brought much success to this more affluent part of town. Glencar often inflicted large defeats on the likes of Termon, Glenswilly, Illistrin and the soccer lads from Ballyraine.

Haran won underage titles at almost all levels with St Eunan's. He attended boarding school at St Jarlath's College in Tuam, County Galway, from 1989 to 1995.[4] In doing so he followed his brother Eamon, as well as family friend Leslie McGettigan.[4] While attending St Jarlath's, Haran played with future Galway footballers Michael Donnellan, John ('Scan') Colcannon, Declan and Tomás Meehan, Tommy and Pádraic Joyce,[4] as well as fellow Donegal men Kevin Winston and Alan McFadden. He cites Fr Oliver Hughes and Joe Long as his main influences. He was part of the 1994 Hogan Cup-winning team.[4]

Having repeated his Leaving Certificate (in an effort to win a Hogan Cup on the field), Haran attended UL for a brief stint.

Playing career

Haran made his debut for Naomh Adhamhnáin in 1995. He won eight Donegal Senior Football Championships, the last of which came in 2014 (including the infamous 1997 championship which was won on the pitch then lost in the boardroom, but which Haran personally counts) before he retired from senior football in 2017.[5][1] In spite of this "retirement", Haran was man of the match in the final of the 2014 Donegal Senior Football Championship.[6]

Declan Bonner handed him his inter-county league debut in 1998.[7] He made his Championship debut against Cavan at Breffni Park on 12 May 2002.[8]

He has been sent off in the past.[9]

He also played for St Mary's in the Sigerson Cup.[10]

He was one of those who made known his displeasure at Vincent Hogan over Hogan's infamous "sheep" jibe against Jim McGuinness and his team in a national newspaper.[11][12]

He now plays on the reserve team for St Eunan's and in the Autumn of 2018 won his first Donegal Senior Reserve Championship medal, coming off the bench against Naomh Conaill to help steer the youthful Letterkenny side to victory.

Teaching career

Haran attended St Mary's Teacher Training College in Belfast in 2004–05. He got to know Michaela McAreavey well, along with her brother Mark, who were both attending at the same time.[10]

On 10 February 2020, Haran was appointed principal of St Bernadette's Special School on College Farm Road, Letterkenny.[13]

Honours

Player

Individual
  • Donegal Senior Football Championship Man of the Match: 2014[16]

References
  1. Ferry, Ryan (20 September 2013). "SFC: Haran to call time with Eunan's". Donegal News. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  2. Foley, Cliona (12 June 2002). "Devenney in clear following NY trip". Irish Independent. Retrieved 12 June 2002. Half-forward John Haran is available again after a month's suspension but manager Mickey Moran has opted to leave Christy Toye at right half-forward and hold Haran, like fit-again Damien[sic] Diver, as back-up on the bench.
  3. "Breaking Ball: Donegal Club Championships 2019". Donegal News. 6 September 2019. p. 48.
  4. Heaney, Paddy (30 July 2015). "John Haran: born in Donegal, sent to school in Galway". The Irish News. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  5. Keys, Colm (5 November 2012). "Eunan's survive storm". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 18 December 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  6. "St Eunan's champions again in Donegal". RTÉ Sport. 2 November 2014. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  7. "Galway blow as Fallon to switch codes". Irish Independent. 11 February 1998. Donegal also selected their team last night, and they handed league debuts to Martin Bonnar from Na Rossa, home club of new manager Declan Bonner, and John Haran of St Eunan's, Letterkenny.
  8. "Devenney's future in balance". Irish Independent. 10 May 2002. Retrieved 10 May 2002.
  9. Foley, Cliona; Harrington, John (16 May 2002). "County call: Donegal". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 May 2002.
  10. "Michaela: Donegal star's memories of a great young woman". 16 January 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  11. "McGuinness a leader of sheep". Irish Independent. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  12. Foley, Alan; Comack, Tom (24 November 2011). "'Sheep' jibe was not welcomed". Donegal Democrat. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
  13. O'Donnell, Ciaran (10 September 2020). "'We need up to seven or eight more mini buses — Principal'". Donegal News. p. 3. St Bernadette's Special School caters for children aged 4–18 with a mild, general learning disability. Mr Haran was appointed school principal on February 10, five weeks before lockdown.
  14. Ferry, Ryan (10 October 2019). "Quigley to feature in Senior 'C' final". Donegal News. p. 67. Alan O'Connell led St Eunan's to glory last season… 'we've also added a few [players] like John and Peter Gibbons. There's another lad called John Haran who has joined us too. If we win this week, he will have a hat-trick of Senior, Senior 'B' and Senior 'C' medals.
  15. McNulty, Chris (12 October 2019). "Sharkey goal spurs St Eunan's to Senior C success". Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  16. "St Eunan's champions again in Donegal". RTÉ Sport. 2 November 2014. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
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