Donegal football legend Tommy Harkin is celebrating his 90th birthday today.
The Carrigans man remains a regular attendee of football matches across Donegal and beyond.
Harkin’s jovial, joking personality has made him a much-loved figure in many dressing rooms.
What started as a weekly jaunt to Fanad with his son Kenny, evolved into him getting involved in the backroom team of Fr Michael Sweeney. He ended up spending 27 years as the Fanad United physio, working under managers Fr Mick, Eamon McConigley and Ollie Horgan.
In his own playing days, he played as a striker for Dunmore in the Inishowen League, as well as togging out for Killea, Kildrum Tigers among others. Indeed he played alongside a 16-year old Kenny in the same team for a time.
When Eamon McConigley left as Fanad manager, Harkin contemplated bidding farewell. “The only time I have ever thought about packing up was the time Eamon left as manager,” he recalled in an interview some years ago.
“Maurice Toland had asked me to go along with him at Kildrum, but Ollie came in as manager and he rang straight away to make sure I would stay on. And I’m glad I did, because I really enjoy it.”
Fanad’s two Intermediate Cup wins, in 1988 and 1995, are up there with the greatest memories.
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Kenny Harkin scored a last gasp winner in ‘88 to defeat Tramore Celtic and seven years later a Paul McGeoghegan goal clinched a victory over Corinthians from Cork.
He said: “It was really special…I mean, your own son scoring the winner like that, and all the celebrations after, and the papers were all talking about ‘King Kenny’ – they are great memories.”
When Horgan left Fanad to become the Finn Harps manager in late 2013, Harkin went to Finn Park and became a kit man all through the Galwegian’s memorable nine-year spell.
Kenny Harkin made 25 appearances for Harps in his playing days and Gareth Harkin – Kenny’s son and Tommy’s grandson – played 193 games for Harps.
Tommy was at Dry Arch Park last weekend to cheer on Gareth, playing now for Bonagee United in the FAI National League. Another grandson, Mark, lined out for Bonagee and his based now in Australia while he is also a regular watcher of Kildrum Tigers, where grandsons Justin McGee and Gavin McGee have played over the last number of seasons.
He was on the backroom team of Shane Byrne during a successful spell at Glengad United while he has also aided Byrne with the ATU men’s team having previously been alongside Niall McGonagle at the then LyIT side.
Over the years, he has helped with a variety of Donegal Schoolboy teams and lo-cal representative teams, while the likes of Carl McHugh, Johnny Dunleavy, Brian McGroary, Shane Blaney and Seamus Coleman are all players he has watched go across the water in their careers.
Many happy returns, Tommy!