As the curtain closed on Ulster's season after the defeat to Connacht, it ended what had been a whirlwind number of months for the Senior Men's team. A second placed finish in the BKT United Rugby Championship showed a progression from the previous campaign, mixed with disappointment at not progressing beyond the Quarter-Final in the play-off stages.
One of the bright sparks of Ulster's campaign, Harry Sheridan, shone through at one of Ulster's darkest points of the season amidst a poor run of form around the winter period.
Harry grew up an Ulster supporter, with his family all being proud season ticket holders at Kingspan Stadium.
For Harry, pulling on the Ulster jersey was a dream he had from an early age, as he used to idolise the players he watched alongside his Grandad.
"I think this time a year ago, if I had told my mum, dad or grandad that I would be playing in the Ulster first team they wouldn’t have believed me. They would have thought I was joking! It's been a dream come true."
That dream was realised in a setting Harry probably might not have imagined, as his first appearance in an Ulster jersey came in a cauldron of noise at the Stade Marcel Deflandre, the home of the reigning European Champions La Rochelle.
In the pouring rain, Harry came on from the bench and set his stall out early, hitting France stalwart and La Rochelle captain Gregory Aldritt with a hard tackle.
Although Ulster ended up losing the match in extra time, it was a night that the Trinity College student says he will never forget.
"That night was crazy. I’ve never experienced an away crowd like it, the fans were so loud, it was deafening and you could barely hear the person beside you. It was also lashing down with rain so it was some experience.
I was buzzing to make my debut, it was something I dreamt about for a long time so a dream come true. I hope next year I can push on more."
Harry was rewarded for his performance with an immediate show of trust from Ulster Head Coach, Dan McFarland, as the young back- rower started against Sale Sharks in a crucial Round 4 Heineken Champions Cup match.
He would go on to feature in the next few matchday squads, showcasing his power by scoring his first senior tries for Ulster against Glasgow Warriors and in the stifling heat of Durban against Cell C Sharks, a match that he counts as one of his highlights of the year.
"In South Africa, we had done a lot of heat preparation but nothing can compare to going out there and experiencing what felt like a brick wall of humidity hitting you. It would have been awful to have gone out there, put in the effort and come away with nothing so it was great to get the result. That win was one of the best rugby matches I have ever been involved with."
Harry says that while he has achieved some personal milestones, he has mixed feelings about looking back at his breakthrough season.
"From a team perspective, after the lull around Christmas time, we came back strong and I think there was progression there through hardship. I went from having never played a game to thinking at Christmas that I wouldn’t get a look-in in the second half of the season.
Suddenly one week I was thrown in and managed to stay afloat and stay as part of the squad, so I was very happy with the rest of the season but obviously devastated that we lost to Connacht."
For his performances in an Ulster jersey, Harry's efforts were recognised by Trinity College where he studies, as he made a Pinks recipient, the highest award the University offers, as part of their Sport Awards.
The award in his mind, was a good way to say goodbye to his studying at the College.
"It’s a highly decorated award, I was delighted to receive it and feel really happy that some of the work I have put in has been rewarded."
One of those leaving Ulster following the conclusion of the season is World-Cup winning Springbok Duane Vermeulen, an experienced player that Harry learned a lot from while playing and training alongside.
"Duane really helped with our maul game, he has helped take it to a new level, along with Roddy Grant (Forwards Coach) and our other forwards. Duane helped me with keeping clued into the game and with some technical details. I will miss Duane from a personal point of view because his knowledge and presence was unrivalled."
For now, Ulster's players will take time off and report back to pre season later in the summer.
For Harry, its an opportunity to re-set after a disappointing end to the season.
"I think everyone needs a break, it’s also frustrating because I personally want to kick on and be a part of something special. We have to use the disappointment as fuel for the fire next year."
Want to be there for the new season?
Existing Season Ticket holders can now renew their packages online via Account Manager. Details have also been emailed to account holders.
The renewal window will remain open until 4pm on Friday 2 June.
For full details on 2023/24 Ulster Rugby Season Tickets, visit ulster.rugby/seasontickets.