Niall McCarthy
Encyclopedia
Niall McCarthy is an Irish
sportsperson. He plays hurling
with his local club Carrigtwohill
and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 2002.
with his local club in Carrigtwohill
and has enjoyed some success. He first came to prominence on the club scene as a member of the club's minor football team in 1998. That year Carrigtwohill reached the final of county minor championship
. The Tadgh MacCárthaigh
's club provided the opposition on that occasion and went on to defeat McCarthy's side.
McCarthy later joined the Carrigtwohill under-21 teams. In 2001 he lined out in the final of the county under-21 championship
with Glen Rovers
providing the opposition. The Glen proved too strong on that occasion and won the game by 2-9 to 2-6.
In 2002 McCarthy was a key member of the Carrigtwohill senior team. That year the club reached the final of the county intermediate championship
. McCarthy's side line dout against Delaney's on that occasion and, after an exciting hour of hurling, the game ended in a draw. A week later both sides met in the replay, however, McCarthy's side narrowly lost out by 1-13 to 0-14.
It was 2006 before Carrigtwohill reached the decider of the premier intermediate championship again. McCarthy was one of the key men in the forward line as Bishopstown
provided the opposition. Disappointment and defeat were McCarthy's lot as 'the town' easily won the game by 0-20 to 1-11.
A year later McCarthy's club had as chance of redemption when they reached the intermediate final for the second consecutive year. Watergrasshill
were the opponents in that game and an exciting and tense hour of hurling followed. At the full-time whistle Carrigtwohill were the winners by 3-14 to 3-12 and McCarthy finally collected a premier intermediate winners' medal.
In 2011 Carrigtwohill made it to the Cork Senior Hurling Championship
for the first time since 1935 where they faced a start studded Cork Institute of Technology
team. Despite entering the game as underdogd McCarthy's team cased a hugh shock and ran out 0-15 to 1-11 winners to take the title for the first time since 1918.
were the opponents on this occasion but they were no match for Cork. A 3-13 to 0-8 score line gave Cork the victory and gave McCarthy a coveted Munster
winners' medal. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cork take on Kilkenny
. McCarthy came on as a substitute once again as 'The Rebels' proved too strong for their greatest rivals. A 2-15 to 1-9 score line gave Cork the win and gave McCarthy an All-Ireland
minor winners' medal.
By 2001 McCarthy was a member of the Cork intermediate hurling team. That year he collected a Munster
winners' medal in that competition as 'the Rebels' defeated Clare by 1-120 to 1-11. McCarthy's side later reached the All-Ireland decider and faced Wexford
. Cork's hurlers proved too strong once again and defeated the Leinster champions by 2-17 to 2-8, giving McCarthy and All-Ireland
winners' medal in this grade.
By this stage McCarthy had joined the Cork under-21 hurling team. After little success in 2001 and 2002, Cork reached the provincial decider. Tipperary
were the opposition and, after an exciting game that featured extra-time, Cork were eventually defeated by 2-14 to 0-17.
with Cork reaching the final of that competition. McCarthy lined out at wing-forward in that game against Kilkenny
. A close match developed, however, 'the Cats' secured a narrow 2-15 to 2-14 victory. McCarthy later made his championship debut that year, however,Cork, showing little or no appetite for battle, were eliminated by Galway in the second round of the qualifiers that year.
While the Cork hurling team should have gone from strength to strength as a result of a solid foundation at minor and under-21 levels the opposite happened. A series of embarrassing defeats saw the Cork hurling team reach rock bottom and call a players' strike just before Christmas in 2002. Had the strike failed it could have meant the end of his and his fellow teammates' careers, however, in the end the county board relented and met the demands. Although still amateur sportsmen the Cork senior hurling team were treated as professional athletes.
In 2003 Cork’s players were vindicated in taking a stand as the team reached the Munster final for the first time in three years. Waterford provided the opposition on that occasion as one of hurling’s modern rivalries began in earnest. An exciting game resulted between the two teams; however, victory went to Cork by 3-16 to 3-12. It was McCarthy's first Munster
winners' medal in the senior grade and it gave a signal that Cork were back. Cork were hot favourites going into the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final against Wexford
, however, it was far from a walkover. In one of the most exciting games of the championship both sides finished level: Cork 2-20, Wexford 3-17. Both sides met again six days later with Cork making no mistake and taking the spoils on a score line of 3-17 to 2-7. This win set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. In another thrilling game of hurling both teams were level for much of the game, exchanging tit-for-tat scores. A Setanta Ó hAilpín
goal steadied the Cork ship, however, a Martin Comerford
goal five minutes from the end settled the game as Kilkenny went on to win by 1-14 to 1-11.
2004 saw Cork reach the Munster final once again and, for the second consecutive year, Waterford provided the opposition. In what many consider to be the greatest provincial decider of them all, both sides fought tooth-and-nail for the full seventy minutes. Unfortunately for McCarthy Cork lost the game by just a single point on a score line of Waterford 3-16, Cork 1-21. Although Cork surrendered their provincial crown they were still in with a chance of landing the All-Ireland title. After maneuvering through the qualifiers Cork reached a second consecutive All-Ireland final and, once again, Kilkenny provided the opposition. This game took on a life of its own for a number of reasons. Chief among these was the fact that Kilkenny were attempting to capture a third All-Ireland in-a-row and go one ahead of Cork in the All-Ireland roll of honour. The game was expected to be another classic; however, a damp day put an end to this. The first-half was a low-scoring affair and provided little excitement for fans. The second-half saw Cork completely take over. For the last twenty-three minutes Cork scored nine unanswered points and went on to win the game by 0-17 to 0-9. McCarthy was named man of the match
while he also collected his first All-Ireland
winners' medal. He finished off the year by collecting an All-Star
award.
In 2005 Cork were on form again. They won back the provincial crown that year with a 1-12 to 1-16 victory over Tipperary. It was McCarthy's second Munster winners’ medal as Cork went on the march for glory once again. In the All-Ireland semi-final against Clare
their championship campaign was nearly derailed when they fell behind by seven points at the start of the second-half. A huge performance by Cork turned this deficit around and Cork went on to win the game by 0-16 to 0-15. While it was expected that Cork and Kilkenny would do battle again in a third consecutive All-Ireland final Galway were the surprise winners of the second semi-final. It was the first meeting of Cork and Galway in an All-Ireland final since 1990 and even more daunting was the fact that men from the west had never beaten Cork in a championship decider. Once again neither side broke away into a considerable lead, however, at the final whistle Cork were ahead by 1-21 to 1-16. For the second year in-a-row Cork were the All-Ireland champions and McCartrhy collected his second winners’ medal.
2006 saw Cork turn their attentions to a first three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles since 1978. The team’s championship campaign got off to a good start with a 0-20 to 0-14 defeat of Clare in the opening round of the Munster championship. The subsequent provincial decider saw Cork take on Tipp for the second consecutive year. Star forward Joe Deane
was to the fore, scoring an impressive eight points and contributing greatly to Cork’s 2-11 to 1-11 victory over their old rivals and a third Munster medal for McCarthy. Subsequent victories over Limerick and Waterford saw Cork qualify for their fourth consecutive All-Ireland final and for the third time Kilkenny were the opponents. Like previous encounters neither side took a considerable lead, however, Kilkenny had a vital goal from Aidan Fogarty
. Cork were in arrears coming into the final few minutes, however, Ben O'Connor
goaled for Cork. It was too little too late as ‘the Cats’ denied ‘the Rebels’ the three-in-a-row on a score line of 1-16 to 1-13.
In 2007 Cork were out foe redemption, however, their championship ambitions were hampered from the beginning. The so-called Semplegate affair resulted in Seán Óg Ó hAilpín
, Donal Óg Cusack
and Diarmuid O'Sullivan
being suspended for a crucial Munster semi-final clash with Waterford. In spite of being without three of their best players Cork put up a good fight but only lost by a goal. After maneuvering through the qualifiers Cork reached the All-Ireland quarter-final. Once again Waterford provided the opposition as the game controversially ended in a draw – 3-16 apiece. The replay was less exciting; however, it was still a good game as Waterford triumphed by 2-17 to 0-20.
The activities of the Cork footballers and their reaction to the appointment of Teddy Holland
as their new manager impacted greatly on the preparations of the Cork hurling team. The entire panel went on a sympathy strike and missed the opening games of the National League. In the end the Cork hurlers returned to duty, with their first championship game being a Munster semi-final with Tipperary. In the lead up to the game there was speculation as to the formation of the Cork team as it was believed that some of the ‘old guard’ would be blending into the background. Cork lost to Tipp by six points and had to take their chances in the win-or-bust qualifiers. A goal by Joe Deane in their next outing helped Cork to limp over the finish line against Dublin
. The team’s overall performance was less than impressive in the 1-17 to 0-15 win. Cork’s next game saw Galway, a team regarded as one of the best in the country, provided the opposition. The first-half was a poor affair with Cork’s goalkeeper, Donal Óg Cusack, being sent off. In the second-half Cork took charge with Joe Deane giving a great display and scoring four crucial points from play to help his team to a 0-23 to 2-15 victory and a place in the All-Ireland quarter-final. Clare were the opposition on that occasion and, once again, Cork gave a poor first-half display. The second-half was a different story with Cork taking charge once again and securing a 2-19 to 2-17 victory. This win allowed Cork to advance to the All-Ireland semi-final where Kilkenny provided the opposition. It was the first time that these two teams met in the championship outside of an All-Ireland final. That game was an intriguing encounter; however, ‘the Cats’ won the day by 1-23 to 0-17.
Following the defeat by Kilkenny in 2008 manager Gerald McCarthy's two-year contract came to an end. He was later re-appointed for a further two-year term by the Cork County Board, in spite of the majority of the players not wanting him to stay on. The players on the 2008 panel refused to play or train under McCarthy. (see 2008-2009 Cork players strike). McCarthy accordingly began the 2009 National League campaign with a new squad, none of whom had been able to make the previous year's panel. After months of pressure McCarthy eventually stepped down as manager.
Following the resolution to these difficulties Cork were defeated by Tipperary on a score line of 1-19 to 0-19 in the opening round of the Munster campaign. After a convincing win over Offaly, Cork's next game was a win-or-bust All-Ireland qualifier meeting with Galway. Cork faltered in the final ten minutes with McCarthy missing a golden goal opportunity that could have turned the game. In the end 'the Tribesmen' knocked 'the Rebels' out of the championship by 1-19 to 0-15.
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 plays 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 Carrigtwohill
Carrigtwohill GAA
Carrigtwohill GAA is a Gaelic Football and hurling club based in the parish of Carrigtwohill in Cork, Ireland. The club participates in Cork GAA competitions and in Imokilly board competitions. In 2011 the Senior hurling team won a first county title in 93 years...
and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 2002.
Club
McCarthy plays his club hurling and Gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with his local club in Carrigtwohill
Carrigtwohill GAA
Carrigtwohill GAA is a Gaelic Football and hurling club based in the parish of Carrigtwohill in Cork, Ireland. The club participates in Cork GAA competitions and in Imokilly board competitions. In 2011 the Senior hurling team won a first county title in 93 years...
and has enjoyed some success. He first came to prominence on the club scene as a member of the club's minor football team in 1998. That year Carrigtwohill reached the final of county minor championship
Cork Minor Football Championship
The Cork Minor Football Championship is a Gaelic football competition for Gaelic Athletic Association players under the age of 18 in County Cork, Ireland. This competition is also known as the Premier Minor Football Championship and is played on a county-wide basis. The competing clubs do not play...
. The Tadgh MacCárthaigh
Tadhg McCarthaigh's GAA
Tadhg MacCarthaigh GAA is Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Caheragh in Cork, Ireland.This is a Gaelic football only club, with no hurling played. The club in 2008 decided to start an under-12 hurling team, so the club may become a dual club in the future. The club is a member of the...
's club provided the opposition on that occasion and went on to defeat McCarthy's side.
McCarthy later joined the Carrigtwohill under-21 teams. In 2001 he lined out in the final of the county under-21 championship
Cork Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Cork Under-21 Hurling Championship is a hurling competition for players under the age of 21. Clubs affiliated to Cork board compete to win this championship. Seven of the divisions in Cork organize their own championship . The divisional winners compete against each other to decide the county...
with Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers GAA
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-Colours:...
providing the opposition. The Glen proved too strong on that occasion and won the game by 2-9 to 2-6.
In 2002 McCarthy was a key member of the Carrigtwohill senior team. That year the club reached the final of the county intermediate championship
Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship
Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship is the second-tier hurling competition organized by the Cork Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The winners usually will play in the senior grade the following year for the Cork Senior Hurling Championship. This championship has been played for since 1909...
. McCarthy's side line dout against Delaney's on that occasion and, after an exciting hour of hurling, the game ended in a draw. A week later both sides met in the replay, however, McCarthy's side narrowly lost out by 1-13 to 0-14.
It was 2006 before Carrigtwohill reached the decider of the premier intermediate championship again. McCarthy was one of the key men in the forward line as Bishopstown
Bishopstown GAA
Bishopstown Hurling and Football Club is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Bishopstown area of Cork city, Republic of Ireland...
provided the opposition. Disappointment and defeat were McCarthy's lot as 'the town' easily won the game by 0-20 to 1-11.
A year later McCarthy's club had as chance of redemption when they reached the intermediate final for the second consecutive year. Watergrasshill
Watergrasshill GAA
Watergrasshill GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the parish of Watergrasshill, County Cork, Ireland. The club is affiliated to Cork GAA and is part of the Imokilly division...
were the opponents in that game and an exciting and tense hour of hurling followed. At the full-time whistle Carrigtwohill were the winners by 3-14 to 3-12 and McCarthy finally collected a premier intermediate winners' medal.
In 2011 Carrigtwohill made it to the Cork Senior Hurling Championship
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....
for the first time since 1935 where they faced a start studded Cork Institute of Technology
Cork Institute of Technology
Cork Institute of Technology , formerly the Regional Technical College, Cork, is an Institute of Technology in Ireland, located in Cork, Ireland opened in 1973. The institute has 17,000 students in art, business, engineering, music and science disciplines...
team. Despite entering the game as underdogd McCarthy's team cased a hugh shock and ran out 0-15 to 1-11 winners to take the title for the first time since 1918.
Minor, under-21 & intermediate
McCarthy first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork minor hurling team when he was just sixteen years-old in 1998. In his debut season he failed to make the starting fifteen, however, he came on as a substitute in the Munster final. ClareClare 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....
were the opponents on this occasion but they were no match for Cork. A 3-13 to 0-8 score line gave Cork the victory and gave McCarthy a coveted Munster
Munster 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...
winners' medal. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cork take on 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...
. McCarthy came on as a substitute once again as 'The Rebels' proved too strong for their greatest rivals. A 2-15 to 1-9 score line gave Cork the win and gave McCarthy 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...
minor winners' medal.
By 2001 McCarthy was a member of the Cork intermediate hurling team. That year he collected a Munster
Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Intermediate Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1961 for the strong hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland...
winners' medal in that competition as 'the Rebels' defeated Clare by 1-120 to 1-11. McCarthy's side later reached the All-Ireland decider and faced Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
. Cork's hurlers proved too strong once again and defeated the Leinster champions by 2-17 to 2-8, giving McCarthy and All-Ireland
All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship is a hurling competition played between the strong hurling counties of Ireland. In some cases the teams consist of players who are not on the senior squads for their county , or in others of players who are from junior or intermediate clubs...
winners' medal in this grade.
By this stage McCarthy had joined the Cork under-21 hurling team. After little success in 2001 and 2002, Cork reached the provincial decider. 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...
were the opposition and, after an exciting game that featured extra-time, Cork were eventually defeated by 2-14 to 0-17.
Senior
McCarthy's performances in the other grades of hurling brought him to the attentions of the Cork senior selectors. He made his debut in the 2002 National Hurling LeagueNational Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
with Cork reaching the final of that competition. McCarthy lined out at wing-forward in that game against 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...
. A close match developed, however, 'the Cats' secured a narrow 2-15 to 2-14 victory. McCarthy later made his championship debut that year, however,Cork, showing little or no appetite for battle, were eliminated by Galway in the second round of the qualifiers that year.
While the Cork hurling team should have gone from strength to strength as a result of a solid foundation at minor and under-21 levels the opposite happened. A series of embarrassing defeats saw the Cork hurling team reach rock bottom and call a players' strike just before Christmas in 2002. Had the strike failed it could have meant the end of his and his fellow teammates' careers, however, in the end the county board relented and met the demands. Although still amateur sportsmen the Cork senior hurling team were treated as professional athletes.
In 2003 Cork’s players were vindicated in taking a stand as the team reached the Munster final for the first time in three years. Waterford provided the opposition on that occasion as one of hurling’s modern rivalries began in earnest. An exciting game resulted between the two teams; however, victory went to Cork by 3-16 to 3-12. It was McCarthy's first 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....
winners' medal in the senior grade and it gave a signal that Cork were back. Cork were hot favourites going into the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final against Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
, however, it was far from a walkover. In one of the most exciting games of the championship both sides finished level: Cork 2-20, Wexford 3-17. Both sides met again six days later with Cork making no mistake and taking the spoils on a score line of 3-17 to 2-7. This win set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. In another thrilling game of hurling both teams were level for much of the game, exchanging tit-for-tat scores. A Setanta Ó hAilpín
Setanta Ó hAilpín
Setanta "Carlos" Ó hAilpín is an Australian-Irish sportsman. He was a hurler with the Cork senior team before becoming a professional Australian Rules footballer. He is of mixed Irish and Rotuman background...
goal steadied the Cork ship, however, a Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club O'Loughlin Gaels and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 2002 until 2010.-References:-Teams:...
goal five minutes from the end settled the game as Kilkenny went on to win by 1-14 to 1-11.
2004 saw Cork reach the Munster final once again and, for the second consecutive year, Waterford provided the opposition. In what many consider to be the greatest provincial decider of them all, both sides fought tooth-and-nail for the full seventy minutes. Unfortunately for McCarthy Cork lost the game by just a single point on a score line of Waterford 3-16, Cork 1-21. Although Cork surrendered their provincial crown they were still in with a chance of landing the All-Ireland title. After maneuvering through the qualifiers Cork reached a second consecutive All-Ireland final and, once again, Kilkenny provided the opposition. This game took on a life of its own for a number of reasons. Chief among these was the fact that Kilkenny were attempting to capture a third All-Ireland in-a-row and go one ahead of Cork in the All-Ireland roll of honour. The game was expected to be another classic; however, a damp day put an end to this. The first-half was a low-scoring affair and provided little excitement for fans. The second-half saw Cork completely take over. For the last twenty-three minutes Cork scored nine unanswered points and went on to win the game by 0-17 to 0-9. McCarthy was named man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
while he also collected his first 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....
winners' medal. He finished off the year by collecting an All-Star
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
award.
In 2005 Cork were on form again. They won back the provincial crown that year with a 1-12 to 1-16 victory over Tipperary. It was McCarthy's second Munster winners’ medal as Cork went on the march for glory once again. In the All-Ireland semi-final 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....
their championship campaign was nearly derailed when they fell behind by seven points at the start of the second-half. A huge performance by Cork turned this deficit around and Cork went on to win the game by 0-16 to 0-15. While it was expected that Cork and Kilkenny would do battle again in a third consecutive All-Ireland final Galway were the surprise winners of the second semi-final. It was the first meeting of Cork and Galway in an All-Ireland final since 1990 and even more daunting was the fact that men from the west had never beaten Cork in a championship decider. Once again neither side broke away into a considerable lead, however, at the final whistle Cork were ahead by 1-21 to 1-16. For the second year in-a-row Cork were the All-Ireland champions and McCartrhy collected his second winners’ medal.
2006 saw Cork turn their attentions to a first three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles since 1978. The team’s championship campaign got off to a good start with a 0-20 to 0-14 defeat of Clare in the opening round of the Munster championship. The subsequent provincial decider saw Cork take on Tipp for the second consecutive year. Star forward Joe Deane
Joe Deane
Joe Deane is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Killeagh and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1996 until 2009...
was to the fore, scoring an impressive eight points and contributing greatly to Cork’s 2-11 to 1-11 victory over their old rivals and a third Munster medal for McCarthy. Subsequent victories over Limerick and Waterford saw Cork qualify for their fourth consecutive All-Ireland final and for the third time Kilkenny were the opponents. Like previous encounters neither side took a considerable lead, however, Kilkenny had a vital goal from Aidan Fogarty
Aidan Fogarty
Aidan Fogarty is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Emeralds and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team.-Club:...
. Cork were in arrears coming into the final few minutes, however, Ben O'Connor
Ben O'Connor
Ben O'Connor is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Newtownshandrum and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1999. O'Connor is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.-Biography:Ben O’Connor was born in the village of...
goaled for Cork. It was too little too late as ‘the Cats’ denied ‘the Rebels’ the three-in-a-row on a score line of 1-16 to 1-13.
In 2007 Cork were out foe redemption, however, their championship ambitions were hampered from the beginning. The so-called Semplegate affair resulted in Seán Óg Ó hAilpín
Seán Óg Ó hAilpín
Seán Óg Ó hAilpín is an iconic Irish-Fijian sportsperson. A former dual player, he currently plays hurling with his local club Na Piarsaigh and is a member of the Cork senior inter-county team. Ó hAilpín captained Cork to the All-Ireland title in 2005...
, Donal Óg Cusack
Dónal Óg Cusack
Donal Óg Cusack is a well-known Irish hurler and Ireland's first openly gay elite sportsman. He plays hurling at club level with Cloyne and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1999....
and Diarmuid O'Sullivan
Diarmuid O'Sullivan
Diarmuid O'Sullivan is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Cloyne and was a dual player with the Cork senior inter-county teams at various times from 1997 until 2008. O'Sullivan is regarded as one of Cork's greatest-ever players.-Biography:Diarmuid O'Sullivan was born in...
being suspended for a crucial Munster semi-final clash with Waterford. In spite of being without three of their best players Cork put up a good fight but only lost by a goal. After maneuvering through the qualifiers Cork reached the All-Ireland quarter-final. Once again Waterford provided the opposition as the game controversially ended in a draw – 3-16 apiece. The replay was less exciting; however, it was still a good game as Waterford triumphed by 2-17 to 0-20.
The activities of the Cork footballers and their reaction to the appointment of Teddy Holland
Teddy Holland
Teddy Holland is an Irish retired Gaelic football manager and former player. He played football with his local clubs Ballinascarthy and St. Finbarr's and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1970...
as their new manager impacted greatly on the preparations of the Cork hurling team. The entire panel went on a sympathy strike and missed the opening games of the National League. In the end the Cork hurlers returned to duty, with their first championship game being a Munster semi-final with Tipperary. In the lead up to the game there was speculation as to the formation of the Cork team as it was believed that some of the ‘old guard’ would be blending into the background. Cork lost to Tipp by six points and had to take their chances in the win-or-bust qualifiers. A goal by Joe Deane in their next outing helped Cork to limp over the finish line against Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
. The team’s overall performance was less than impressive in the 1-17 to 0-15 win. Cork’s next game saw Galway, a team regarded as one of the best in the country, provided the opposition. The first-half was a poor affair with Cork’s goalkeeper, Donal Óg Cusack, being sent off. In the second-half Cork took charge with Joe Deane giving a great display and scoring four crucial points from play to help his team to a 0-23 to 2-15 victory and a place in the All-Ireland quarter-final. Clare were the opposition on that occasion and, once again, Cork gave a poor first-half display. The second-half was a different story with Cork taking charge once again and securing a 2-19 to 2-17 victory. This win allowed Cork to advance to the All-Ireland semi-final where Kilkenny provided the opposition. It was the first time that these two teams met in the championship outside of an All-Ireland final. That game was an intriguing encounter; however, ‘the Cats’ won the day by 1-23 to 0-17.
Following the defeat by Kilkenny in 2008 manager Gerald McCarthy's two-year contract came to an end. He was later re-appointed for a further two-year term by the Cork County Board, in spite of the majority of the players not wanting him to stay on. The players on the 2008 panel refused to play or train under McCarthy. (see 2008-2009 Cork players strike). McCarthy accordingly began the 2009 National League campaign with a new squad, none of whom had been able to make the previous year's panel. After months of pressure McCarthy eventually stepped down as manager.
Following the resolution to these difficulties Cork were defeated by Tipperary on a score line of 1-19 to 0-19 in the opening round of the Munster campaign. After a convincing win over Offaly, Cork's next game was a win-or-bust All-Ireland qualifier meeting with Galway. Cork faltered in the final ten minutes with McCarthy missing a golden goal opportunity that could have turned the game. In the end 'the Tribesmen' knocked 'the Rebels' out of the championship by 1-19 to 0-15.