Charlie McCarthy (hurler)
Encyclopedia
Charlie McCarthy is a retired Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club St. Finbarr's
and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1965 until 1980. McCarthy captained Cork to a third consecutive All-Ireland
title in 1978.
in 1946. He was educated locally at Sullivan's Quay Christian Brothers
school and quickly showed a natural talent for hurling. His son, Cathal McCarthy, also played hurling for Cork at underage levels in the 1990s and 2000s.
club on the south side of Cork city, a club where he enjoyed much success. In 1965 he was one of the younger members of the team as St. Finbarr's made it all the way to the final of the senior county championship. A defeat of UCC
saw McCarthy collecting his first senior county title
. After this game St. Finbarr’s represented Cork in the struggling provincial club championship. A 3-12 to 2-3 trouncing of Waterford’s Mount Sion saw McCarthy winning a coveted Munster
club title.
Three years after this in 1968 McCarthy added a second county championship medal to his collection following a defeat of east Cork divisional side Imokilly
.
After an absence of six years St. Finbarr’s were back at the top of the local hurling world again in 1974 following a defeat of Blackrock
. It was McCarthy’s third county championship title. Once again the ‘Barr’s’ were the Cork representatives in the provincial club championship and reached the final. Newmarket-on-Fergus were the opponents on that occasion; however, the game was a poor one. A 0-7 to 0-3 victory gave McCarthy his second Munster club title. The subsequent All-Ireland club final on St. Patrick’s weekend saw St. Finbarr’s take on the Fenian of Kilkenny
. St. Finbarr’s ability to get goals at crucial times proved to be the difference in the 3-8 to 1-6 victory. It was McCarthy’s first All-Ireland
club title.
In 1977 McCarthy collected his fourth county championship title following a victory over north side rivals and reigning champions Glen Rovers. Once again St. Finbarr’s reached the Munster club final where Clare champions Sixmilebridge
provided the opposition. An interesting game developed, however, the ‘Barr’s’ were the easy winners by 2-8 to 0-6. It was McCarthy’s third Munster club medal. He later lined out in the subsequent All-Ireland club final. Rathnure
, the Wexford and Leinster
champs, were the opponents. The first-half was a disaster for St. Finbarr’s as a gale-force wind resulted in the Cork side trailing by 0-8 to 0-1. The second thirty minutes saw the ‘Barr’s’ take control with Jimmy Barry-Murphy
scoring the deciding goal. A 2-7 to 0-9 victory gave McCarthy a second All-Ireland club medal.
1980 saw McCarthy add a fifth county title to his collection as well as a fourth Munster club title. 'The Barr's' went on to complete a hat-trick of county victories in 1981 and 1982.
title in the is grade in 1964 before later collecting an All-Ireland
winners' medal. McCarthy later joined the county under-21 team where he won a set of Munster and All-Ireland
honours in 1966.
By this stage McCarthy was also a well-established member of the Cork senior team. The decade after the 1956 All-Ireland final appearance was a bleak period for Cork’s senior hurling team. In 1966 year Cork avoided Tipperary
, their old tormentors in the provincial championship, and qualified for a Munster showdown with Waterford
. An entertaining hour of hurling followed, however, victory went to Cork for the first time in ten years. It was McCarthy’s first senior Munster
medal. This victory allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where arch-rivals Kilkenny
provided the opposition. It was the first meeting of these two great sides since 1947 and ‘the Cats’ were installed as the firm favourites. In spite of this two goals by Colm Sheehan
and a third from John O'Halloran
gave Cork a merited 3-9 to 1-10 victory over an Eddie Keher
inspired Kilkenny. It was McCarthy’s first senior All-Ireland
medal.
Tipperary emerged as the Munster champions in both 1967 and 1968, however, Cork were back in 1969. That year McCarthy tasted success early in the year when Cork defeated Wexford by 3-12 to 1-14 to take the National Hurling League title. This victory gave Cork a huge boost going into the Munster campaign where the team qualified to meet Tipperary in the final. Cork were out to avenge the nine-point defeat administered by the same side in 1968 while Tipp were out to capture a third provincial title in-a-row. The game was a major triumph for Cork as ‘the Rebels’ won by 4-6 to 0-9. It was a victory that made up for all the beatings that Tipp had dished out to Cork in the early part of the decade and it gave McCarthy a second Munster winners’ medal. Once again this victory paved the way for an All-Ireland showdown with Kilkenny. The game was there for the taking for Cork, particularly after Kilkenny forward Pat Delaney
left the field on a stretcher. ‘The Rebels’ led ‘the Cats’ coming into the last quarter, however, Kilkenny scored five unanswered points in the last seven minutes to win by 2-15 to 2-9.
In 1970 Cork were still regarded as one of the best teams in the country and expectations were high. At the start of the year Cork defeated New York
with an aggregate score of 5-21 to 6-16 to take the National League title. It was McCarthy’s second winners’ medal in the competition. For the third year in-a-row Cork qualified for the Munster final where Tipperary provided the opposition. It was the first eighty minute final in the history of the provincial championship and a close affair developed. At the final whistle Cork were the victors by 3-10 to 3-8 and McCarthy captured his third Munster title. Cork later qualified for the All-Ireland final where Wexford were the opponents. That game broke all records with a huge 64-point score line. Cork's Eddie O'Brien
scored a hat-trick of goals to help his team to a 6-21 to 5-10 victory. It was McCarthy’s second All-Ireland medal.
Defeat was Cork’s lot in 1971, however, the team bounced back in 1972. A third National League title following victory over Limerick before McCarthy later lined out against Clare
in the Munster final. An absolute rout took place on that occasion as Cork recorded a huge 6-18 to 2-8 victory over the ‘banner’ men. It was McCarthy’s fourth Munster winners’ medal. Another comprehensive victory over surprise package London
in the All-Ireland semi-final allowed Cork to advance to the championship decider where, once again, Kilkenny provided the opposition. The game itself is regarded as one of the classic games of the modern era. With time running out Cork were cruising to victory and led ‘the Cats’ by eight points. A Kilkenny fight-back, however, saw the team draw level with Cork and score seven further points without reply to capture a 3-24 to 5-11 victory. It was a huge blow to a Cork team that seemed destined for victory.
Cork lost their provincial crown in to Limerick in 1973, however, in 1974 the team bounced back with McCarthy capturing a fourth National League winners' medal. It was 1975 before Cork contested their next provincial decider, the first one to last for seventy minutes. A 3-14 to 0-12 victory gave McCarthy a fifth Munster title. Cork looked set for another All-Ireland appearance; however, Galway
had other ideas in the semi-final. A 4-15 to 2-19 score line gave Galway their first-ever championship win over Cork.
1976 saw Cork retain their Munster title with another huge 4-14 to 3-5 win over neighbouring Limerick. It was McCarthy’s sixth Munster winner’s medal. This victory allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where Wexford provided the opposition. Both sides had high expectations. Cork got off to the worst possible start in an All-Ireland final and trailed by 2-2 after six minutes. McCarthy’s side battled back, however, the game hung in the balance for much of the seventy. With ten minutes left Wexford were two points to the good, however, three points by Jimmy Barry-Murphy, two by Pat Moylan
and a kicked effort from captain Ray Cummins
gave Cork a 2-21 to 4-11 victory. It was McCarthy’s third All-Ireland title.
In 1977 Cork reached their third consecutive Munster decider with Clare as the opposition. ‘The Rebels’ got off to a great start with a Tim Crowley
penalty after just seventy-five seconds. Clare fought back, however, Cork still defeated fourteen-man Clare by 4-15 to 4-10. A subsequent defeat of Galway set up a second consecutive All-Ireland final showdown with Wexford. Like the previous year the game turned into a close, exciting affair. A Seánie O'Leary
goal, together with some brilliant saves by goalkeeper Martin Coleman
helped Cork to a 1-17 to 3-8 victory. The victory also resulted in a fourth All-Ireland winners’ medal for McCarthy.
1978 saw McCarthy being appointed captain of the Cork side that dominated the provincial championship once again. Clare provided the opposition in second consecutive Munster showdown between the two sides. The game was a close affair and one which Cork could have lost. At the full-time whistle Cork still had a narrow 0-13 to 0-11 win to give McCarthy an eighth Munster title. This victory paved the way for Cork to take on Kilkenny in the subsequent All-Ireland final. The stakes were high as Cork were attempting to capture a first three in-a-row since 1954. The game, however, was not the classic that many expected. Cork were never really troubled over the course of the seventy minutes and a Jimmy Barry-Murphy goal helped the team to a 1-15 to 2-8 victory over their age-old rivals. This victory gave Cork a third All-Ireland title in succession and gave McCarthy a fifth All-Ireland medal. He also had the honour of lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup
on behalf of his county.
In 1979 Cork were invincible in the provincial championship once again. A 2-15 to 0-9 trouncing of Limerick gave the county a record-equaling fifth consecutive Munster title. On a personal level it was McCarthy’s ninth Munster winners’ medal. After this game it looked likely that Cork were set for a fourth consecutive appearance in the All-Ireland final and the chance to equal the seemingly unbeatable record of four championships in-a-row. The All-Ireland semi-final saw Galway catch Cork on the hop once again. A 2-14 to 1-13 defeat ended the dream of four in-a-row.
McCarthy remained with Cork for one final season in 1980, however, by this stage he was on the fringes of the panel. That year Cork aimed to make history by capturing a record-breaking sixth Munster title in-a-row. Limerick provided the opposition in the Munster final. McCarthy came on as a substitute for Ray Cummins, however, Cork were now in decline. The defeat by the Shannonsiders brought McCarthy's inter-county career to an end.
in the Railway Cup inter-provincial competition. He was captain of the team in 1978 when a defeat of Connacht
in the final gave him his sole Railway Cup medal.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
sportsperson. He played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local club St. Finbarr's
St. Finbarr's GAA
St. Finbarr's National Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Togher area of Cork city, County Cork, Ireland....
and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1965 until 1980. McCarthy captained Cork to a third consecutive All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
title in 1978.
Biography
Charlie McCarthy was born in CorkCork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
in 1946. He was educated locally at Sullivan's Quay Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
school and quickly showed a natural talent for hurling. His son, Cathal McCarthy, also played hurling for Cork at underage levels in the 1990s and 2000s.
Club
McCarthy played his club hurling with the famous St. Finbarr'sSt. Finbarr's GAA
St. Finbarr's National Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Togher area of Cork city, County Cork, Ireland....
club on the south side of Cork city, a club where he enjoyed much success. In 1965 he was one of the younger members of the team as St. Finbarr's made it all the way to the final of the senior county championship. A defeat of UCC
UCC GAA
UCC is a football and hurling club associated with University College Cork. UCC teams play in the Cork Senior Football Championship and Cork Senior Hurling Championship as well as the two main third-level competitions namely the Sigerson Cup in football and the Fitzgibbon Cup in hurling...
saw McCarthy collecting his first senior county title
Cork Senior Hurling Championship
The Evening Echo Cork County Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Cork in Ireland....
. After this game St. Finbarr’s represented Cork in the struggling provincial club championship. A 3-12 to 2-3 trouncing of Waterford’s Mount Sion saw McCarthy winning a coveted Munster
Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...
club title.
Three years after this in 1968 McCarthy added a second county championship medal to his collection following a defeat of east Cork divisional side Imokilly
Imokilly GAA
Imokilly GAA is a Gaelic football and Hurling division in the east of Cork, Ireland. The division includes towns such as Midleton, Cobh, and Youghal. It is one of eight divisions of Cork County Board. It organizes competitions for the clubs within the division, from Under 12 up to the adult level...
.
After an absence of six years St. Finbarr’s were back at the top of the local hurling world again in 1974 following a defeat of Blackrock
Blackrock GAA
Blackrock National Hurling Club is a G.A.A. club located on the southside of Cork City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1883 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-History:...
. It was McCarthy’s third county championship title. Once again the ‘Barr’s’ were the Cork representatives in the provincial club championship and reached the final. Newmarket-on-Fergus were the opponents on that occasion; however, the game was a poor one. A 0-7 to 0-3 victory gave McCarthy his second Munster club title. The subsequent All-Ireland club final on St. Patrick’s weekend saw St. Finbarr’s take on the Fenian of Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
. St. Finbarr’s ability to get goals at crucial times proved to be the difference in the 3-8 to 1-6 victory. It was McCarthy’s first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club title.
In 1977 McCarthy collected his fourth county championship title following a victory over north side rivals and reigning champions Glen Rovers. Once again St. Finbarr’s reached the Munster club final where Clare champions Sixmilebridge
Sixmilebridge GAA
Sixmilebridge is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Sixmilebridge, County Clare, Ireland.-History:Sixmilebridge Hurling Club was founded in 1904. The first recorded matches were at Junior hurling and football level against Newmarket on Fergus with the hurlers winning and the footballers losing...
provided the opposition. An interesting game developed, however, the ‘Barr’s’ were the easy winners by 2-8 to 0-6. It was McCarthy’s third Munster club medal. He later lined out in the subsequent All-Ireland club final. Rathnure
Rathnure GAA
Rathnure St. Anne’s is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Rathnure, County Wexford, Ireland. Rathnure's most famous players are the Rackards and Quigley brothers.-First AGM:...
, the Wexford and Leinster
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual Hurling tournament played between the winners of the senior club hurling championships of the counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny. The first Leinster senior club hurling...
champs, were the opponents. The first-half was a disaster for St. Finbarr’s as a gale-force wind resulted in the Cork side trailing by 0-8 to 0-1. The second thirty minutes saw the ‘Barr’s’ take control with Jimmy Barry-Murphy
Jimmy Barry-Murphy
James "Jimmy" Barry-Murphy is a former Irish hurler, Gaelic footballer and association footballer and is the current manager of the Cork senior hurling team...
scoring the deciding goal. A 2-7 to 0-9 victory gave McCarthy a second All-Ireland club medal.
1980 saw McCarthy add a fifth county title to his collection as well as a fourth Munster club title. 'The Barr's' went on to complete a hat-trick of county victories in 1981 and 1982.
Inter-county
McCarthy first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork minor hurling team in the early 1960s. He won a MunsterMunster Minor Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for the youngest competitors in the province of Munster in Ireland...
title in the is grade in 1964 before later collecting an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
winners' medal. McCarthy later joined the county under-21 team where he won a set of Munster and All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
honours in 1966.
By this stage McCarthy was also a well-established member of the Cork senior team. The decade after the 1956 All-Ireland final appearance was a bleak period for Cork’s senior hurling team. In 1966 year Cork avoided Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
, their old tormentors in the provincial championship, and qualified for a Munster showdown with Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
. An entertaining hour of hurling followed, however, victory went to Cork for the first time in ten years. It was McCarthy’s first senior Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
medal. This victory allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where arch-rivals Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
provided the opposition. It was the first meeting of these two great sides since 1947 and ‘the Cats’ were installed as the firm favourites. In spite of this two goals by Colm Sheehan
Colm Sheehan
Colm Sheehan is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Éire Óg and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1965 until 1968.-Club:...
and a third from John O'Halloran
John O'Halloran
John O'Halloran is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local clubs UCC and Blackrock and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1963 until 1969.-Inter-county:...
gave Cork a merited 3-9 to 1-10 victory over an Eddie Keher
Eddie Keher
Edward Peter Keher , better known as Eddie Keher, is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game....
inspired Kilkenny. It was McCarthy’s first senior All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medal.
Tipperary emerged as the Munster champions in both 1967 and 1968, however, Cork were back in 1969. That year McCarthy tasted success early in the year when Cork defeated Wexford by 3-12 to 1-14 to take the National Hurling League title. This victory gave Cork a huge boost going into the Munster campaign where the team qualified to meet Tipperary in the final. Cork were out to avenge the nine-point defeat administered by the same side in 1968 while Tipp were out to capture a third provincial title in-a-row. The game was a major triumph for Cork as ‘the Rebels’ won by 4-6 to 0-9. It was a victory that made up for all the beatings that Tipp had dished out to Cork in the early part of the decade and it gave McCarthy a second Munster winners’ medal. Once again this victory paved the way for an All-Ireland showdown with Kilkenny. The game was there for the taking for Cork, particularly after Kilkenny forward Pat Delaney
Pat Delaney (Kilkenny hurler)
Pat Delaney is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Fenians and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1977.-Club:...
left the field on a stretcher. ‘The Rebels’ led ‘the Cats’ coming into the last quarter, however, Kilkenny scored five unanswered points in the last seven minutes to win by 2-15 to 2-9.
In 1970 Cork were still regarded as one of the best teams in the country and expectations were high. At the start of the year Cork defeated New York
New York GAA
The New York County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or New York GAA, is one of the county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the New York metropolitan area...
with an aggregate score of 5-21 to 6-16 to take the National League title. It was McCarthy’s second winners’ medal in the competition. For the third year in-a-row Cork qualified for the Munster final where Tipperary provided the opposition. It was the first eighty minute final in the history of the provincial championship and a close affair developed. At the final whistle Cork were the victors by 3-10 to 3-8 and McCarthy captured his third Munster title. Cork later qualified for the All-Ireland final where Wexford were the opponents. That game broke all records with a huge 64-point score line. Cork's Eddie O'Brien
Eddie O'Brien (hurler)
Eddie O'Brien is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Passage and with the Cork senior inter-county team in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
scored a hat-trick of goals to help his team to a 6-21 to 5-10 victory. It was McCarthy’s second All-Ireland medal.
Defeat was Cork’s lot in 1971, however, the team bounced back in 1972. A third National League title following victory over Limerick before McCarthy later lined out against Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
in the Munster final. An absolute rout took place on that occasion as Cork recorded a huge 6-18 to 2-8 victory over the ‘banner’ men. It was McCarthy’s fourth Munster winners’ medal. Another comprehensive victory over surprise package London
London GAA
The London County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or London GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in London...
in the All-Ireland semi-final allowed Cork to advance to the championship decider where, once again, Kilkenny provided the opposition. The game itself is regarded as one of the classic games of the modern era. With time running out Cork were cruising to victory and led ‘the Cats’ by eight points. A Kilkenny fight-back, however, saw the team draw level with Cork and score seven further points without reply to capture a 3-24 to 5-11 victory. It was a huge blow to a Cork team that seemed destined for victory.
Cork lost their provincial crown in to Limerick in 1973, however, in 1974 the team bounced back with McCarthy capturing a fourth National League winners' medal. It was 1975 before Cork contested their next provincial decider, the first one to last for seventy minutes. A 3-14 to 0-12 victory gave McCarthy a fifth Munster title. Cork looked set for another All-Ireland appearance; however, Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
had other ideas in the semi-final. A 4-15 to 2-19 score line gave Galway their first-ever championship win over Cork.
1976 saw Cork retain their Munster title with another huge 4-14 to 3-5 win over neighbouring Limerick. It was McCarthy’s sixth Munster winner’s medal. This victory allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where Wexford provided the opposition. Both sides had high expectations. Cork got off to the worst possible start in an All-Ireland final and trailed by 2-2 after six minutes. McCarthy’s side battled back, however, the game hung in the balance for much of the seventy. With ten minutes left Wexford were two points to the good, however, three points by Jimmy Barry-Murphy, two by Pat Moylan
Pat Moylan
Pat Moylan is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and member of Seanad Éireann.Born in Banagher, County Offaly, where he still lives, he is married with three sons and one daughter....
and a kicked effort from captain Ray Cummins
Ray Cummins
Ray Cummins is a retired Irish sportsperson. A dual player at the highest levels, he played hurling with his local club Blackrock and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1982. Cummins also played Gaelic football with his local club St...
gave Cork a 2-21 to 4-11 victory. It was McCarthy’s third All-Ireland title.
In 1977 Cork reached their third consecutive Munster decider with Clare as the opposition. ‘The Rebels’ got off to a great start with a Tim Crowley
Tim Crowley
Tim Crowley is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with Newcestown and Cork in the 1970s and 1980s.-Playing career:...
penalty after just seventy-five seconds. Clare fought back, however, Cork still defeated fourteen-man Clare by 4-15 to 4-10. A subsequent defeat of Galway set up a second consecutive All-Ireland final showdown with Wexford. Like the previous year the game turned into a close, exciting affair. A Seánie O'Leary
Seánie O'Leary
Seanie O'Leary is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Youghal and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1984.-Early & private life:...
goal, together with some brilliant saves by goalkeeper Martin Coleman
Martin Coleman
Martin Coleman is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Ballinhassig and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1970 until 1979.-Club:...
helped Cork to a 1-17 to 3-8 victory. The victory also resulted in a fourth All-Ireland winners’ medal for McCarthy.
1978 saw McCarthy being appointed captain of the Cork side that dominated the provincial championship once again. Clare provided the opposition in second consecutive Munster showdown between the two sides. The game was a close affair and one which Cork could have lost. At the full-time whistle Cork still had a narrow 0-13 to 0-11 win to give McCarthy an eighth Munster title. This victory paved the way for Cork to take on Kilkenny in the subsequent All-Ireland final. The stakes were high as Cork were attempting to capture a first three in-a-row since 1954. The game, however, was not the classic that many expected. Cork were never really troubled over the course of the seventy minutes and a Jimmy Barry-Murphy goal helped the team to a 1-15 to 2-8 victory over their age-old rivals. This victory gave Cork a third All-Ireland title in succession and gave McCarthy a fifth All-Ireland medal. He also had the honour of lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup
Liam McCarthy Cup
The MacCarthy Perpetual Challenge Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the hurling team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.-The trophy:...
on behalf of his county.
In 1979 Cork were invincible in the provincial championship once again. A 2-15 to 0-9 trouncing of Limerick gave the county a record-equaling fifth consecutive Munster title. On a personal level it was McCarthy’s ninth Munster winners’ medal. After this game it looked likely that Cork were set for a fourth consecutive appearance in the All-Ireland final and the chance to equal the seemingly unbeatable record of four championships in-a-row. The All-Ireland semi-final saw Galway catch Cork on the hop once again. A 2-14 to 1-13 defeat ended the dream of four in-a-row.
McCarthy remained with Cork for one final season in 1980, however, by this stage he was on the fringes of the panel. That year Cork aimed to make history by capturing a record-breaking sixth Munster title in-a-row. Limerick provided the opposition in the Munster final. McCarthy came on as a substitute for Ray Cummins, however, Cork were now in decline. The defeat by the Shannonsiders brought McCarthy's inter-county career to an end.
Provincial
McCarthy also lined out with MunsterMunster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
in the Railway Cup inter-provincial competition. He was captain of the team in 1978 when a defeat of Connacht
Connacht GAA
The Connacht Council are a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Connacht.-Constituent counties:*Galway*Leitrim*Mayo*Roscommon*Sligo-Special counties:...
in the final gave him his sole Railway Cup medal.