Sport Gaelic football Years County Years Club 1990s - 2000s Donegal | 1995 - Naomh Adhamhnain Name John Haran Donegal titles 8 | |
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John Haran is a former Gaelic footballer who played his club football for Naomh Adhamhnáin and was a former member of the Donegal senior football team.
Haran learned his trade in the St Eunans college fields adjacent to the legendary Gaelic Stronghold of Hawthorn Heights (Harans, Eamonn & 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. He went on to win under age titles at almost all levels with St Eunans and attended boarding school at St Jarlaths College from 1989 to 1995. While there he played with future Galway greats, Michael Donnellan, John (Scan) Concannon, Declan and Tomas Meehan, Tommy and Padraic Joyce as well as fellow Donegal legends Kevin Winston and Alan McFadden. He was a sub on the team that won the 1994 Hogan Cup on the same day Arton Senna died (RIP). He cites Fr Oliver Hughes and Joe Long as his main influences.
Having repeated his leaving Cert (in an effort to win a Hogan Cup on the field) he attended Limerick University for a brief stint.
Haran made his debut for Naomh Adhamhnáin in 1995. He won seven Donegal Senior Football Championships, the last of which came in 2012 (including the infamous 1997 championship which was won on the pitch then lost in the boardroom, but which Haran personally counts) before he retired in 2013. In spite of this "retirement", Haran was man of the match in the final of the 2014 Donegal Senior Football Championship.
Declan Bonner handed him his inter-county league debut in 1998. He made his Championship debut against Cavan at Breffni Park on 12 May 2002.
He knew Michaela McAreavey well.
He has been sent off in the past.
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.