Harps dare to dream as historic county final beckons

THE Harps have spent much of the last few weeks proving people wrong. Next Sunday, they have the chance to complete one of the great stories in recent Laois hurling.

When they lined out against champions Clough/Ballacolla in the semi-final, many expected their remarkable championship run to come to an end. Instead, they delivered a performance full of courage, attacking intent and resilience to record a dramatic 4-16 to 2-19 victory and book their place in a first county final since 1998.

For years, The Harps have been viewed as a club with potential. Now they are a county final team. More importantly, they arrive at the decider with genuine belief that they can dethrone one of Laois hurling’s traditional powerhouses and create history.

Their semi-final success was no fluke. Throughout the championship, Ken Hogan’s side have developed into one of the most exciting attacking teams in the county. They finished second in their group before overcoming Borris/Kilcotton and then producing their breakthrough victory over Clough/Ballacolla.

The emergence of young players has been central to that progress. Eoin Delaney announced himself on the biggest stage with a sensational hat-trick against the champions, showing composure and sharpness beyond his years. Around him, players such as Ciaran Comerford, Justin Duggan, Padraic Dunne and Eoghan Murphy have all played significant roles in a campaign that has steadily gathered momentum.

The dramatic manner of their semi-final victory could also prove significant. Lesser teams may have folded after Clough/Ballacolla fought back to level deep into injury time. Instead, The Harps found one final attack, with Eoghan Murphy’s delivery causing panic in the goalmouth before ending up in the net for a famous winning score.

Moments like that build confidence. They reinforce a belief that a team’s name may already be on the cup.

Of course, Camross present a very different challenge.

The black-and-ambers bring a wealth of county final experience and boast some of the county’s most accomplished hurlers. They topped their championship group and overcame Rosenallis in the semi-final, with goals from Darren Drennan and Tomas ‘Mossy’ Keyes proving decisive.

The Harps know they cannot afford lapses in concentration against opponents of that calibre. Their defence will face its sternest examination of the year and they must limit Camross’s scoring opportunities if they are to prevail.

Yet there is an argument that the pressure rests more heavily on Camross.

For The Harps, reaching the final has already represented a significant achievement. They can attack the occasion with freedom and confidence. Camross, meanwhile, are expected to win and restore themselves to the summit of Laois hurling.

That dynamic could work in The Harps’ favour.

The challenge now is to ensure that emotion does not overwhelm execution. If they can reproduce the intensity, work rate and attacking sharpness that carried them past Clough/Ballacolla, they have every chance of causing another upset.

Twenty-eight years on from their last county final appearance, The Harps stand just 60 minutes from an achievement that would rank among the greatest in their history.

The dream is alive. Now they must find a way to finish it.