A YEAR that began under the darkest of clouds for Cloughaneely could end with some brightness.
In January, west Donegal was plunged into unimaginable grief when four young men lost their lives in a horrific road traffic accident.
John Harley, who had captained Cloughaneely’s senior team, was among those killed, alongside his friends Michéal Roarty, Sean Harkin and Daniel Scott.
Football was the furthest thing from the minds in the weeks and months that followed.
Now, on Sunday, Cloughaneely – captained by Mark Harley, John’s brother – line up in the Intermediate Championship final against St Naul’s.
“Every day we go out, John Harley is with us,” Cloughaneely manager Michael Lynch told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.
“There’s no point in saying it any other way. His brother, Mark, is the captain.
“We didn’t how the year would pan out. We have young lads who lost have four mates and you just don’t know how people will react to that.
“We tried not to make it all about it, but you can’t forget about it either.
“The way the year started for us, the club rallied around.You don’t realise the club until you need it.”
Listen to the full interview below …