FINN HARPS AGREE DEALS WITH TRIO

December 8, 2009

Finn Harps Manager, James Gallagher, has agreed deals to keep three of last season's squad at the club for the new season.  Goalkeeper Ciaran Gallagher has signed a two year deal, while defender Packie Mailey and forward Stephen McLaughlin have signed on for one year.

Goalkeeper Ciaran Gallagher made his Harps debut just two days after his seventeenth birthday when he came on as a second-half substitute for the injured Gavin Cullen in the 1-0 defeat against Sporting Fingal at the Morton Stadium in April 2009 and was an almost ever present between the posts since then.  In all, he played thirty games for the club last season.  Gallagher has played for the Republic of Ireland at under-17, under-18 and under-19 level in the past year.

Twenty one year old Packie Mailey signed for Harps just after the start of the 2009 season and made his debut coming on as a half-time substitute against Sligo Rovers in the League Cup at the Showgrounds.  Mailey spent some time in Scotland with Hibernians, who he joined from Irish League side Institute in 2005.  He had a spell on loan with Stenhousemuir, but never made a first team appearance while at Easter Road.  Mailey returned home after his release from Hibs in September 2008 and while it looked like he would initially join Dungannon Swifts, he linked up with Harps in April 2009.

Stephen McLaughlin made an immediate impression when thrown into the first team in the middle of last season.  The 19 year old was signed from Inishowen side Clonmany Shamrock for the club's youth team, but soon found himself as a vital member of the first team squad.  He made his senior debut on 25 th July against Wexford Youths at Finn Park and played sixteen times between then and the end of the season.  He scored two goals – against Sporting Fingal on 25 th September and Athlone Town on 9 th October.

The Harps Manager, James Gallagher, is delighted to have secured the signatures of the three players for the upcoming First Division campaign.  "It's great for the club that we have secured the services of three of the best young players in the county.  Hopefully this is a sign of things to come in that the best local talent shouldn't have to leave Donegal to get senior competitive football." 

Gallagher also feels that these players will have benefited from the experience of playing in the first team last season at a young age.  "Obviously, with a lot of our young players having a full season behind them, we will be hoping that physically and mentally the experience they have gained from last year will make us a much more competitive team next season."

The trio sign up as Joey O Leary and James Gallagher look on