Bill McCarthy (dual player)

Bill McCarthy
Personal information
Native name
Liam Mac Cárthaigh (Irish)
Born1936
Dublin, Ireland
Died10 December 2023 (aged 87)
OccupationVeterinary surgeon
Sport
SportHurling
PositionLeft corner-forward
Clubs
Years Club
Lees
St Brendan's, Ardfert
Club titles
Kerry titles 2
College(s)
Years College
1953–1955
1955–1959
University College Cork
University College Dublin
College titles
Fitzgibbon titles 1
Inter-county
Years County
1956–1969
1958
Kerry (JH)
Kerry (SF)
Inter-county titles
Munster titles 0
All-Irelands 0
NHL 0

William McCarthy (1936 – 10 December 2023) was an Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer. He played at club level with Lees and St Brendan's, Ardfert and at inter-county level with the Kerry junior teams in both codes.[1]

Career

Born in Dublin but raised in Cork, McCarthy first played hurling as a schoolboy at St Finbarr's College and was part of the college's Harty Cup team. As a student at University College Cork, he won a Fitzgibbon Cup medal in 1955. McCarthy later lined out in the Fitzgibbon Cup with University College Dublin, while he also won two Dublin SFL medals.[2]

McCarthy first appeared on the inter-county scene for Cork as a dual player at minor level. His two-year tenure in this grade saw him lose three Munster finals across both codes in 1953 and 1954.[3][4] McCarthy later declared for Kerry and was part of the Kerry junior team that won their first ever Munster JHC title in 1956.[5] His performances earned his selection for the Munster team in 1957 and he became the first Kerryman to win a Railway Cup medal following a defeat of Leinster in the final.[6][7]

After adding the first of two National Hurling League Division 2 medal to his collection, McCarthy was called up to the Kerry senior football team for a period. He made appearances against Wexford and Kildare in the early rounds of the 1958–59 league.[8] McCarthy won an All-Ireland JHC medal after being one of the goalscorers in Kerry's defeat of London in the 1961 All-Ireland final.[9]

McCarthy won a Kerry SHC medal with St Brendan's, Ardfert in 1967. He went on to captain the Kerry juniors to a defeat by Warwickshire in the 1968 All-Ireland final, before bringing his inter-county career to an end after a similar defeat in 1969. By that stage McCarthy won a second Kerry SHC with St Brendan's as player-manager in 1975.[10]

Death

McCarthy died on 10 December 2023, at the age of 87.[11]

Honours

University College Cork
Lees
St Brendan's, Ardfert
Kerry
Munster

References

  1. ^ "GAA: Billy McCarthy". Terrace Talk website. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Ardfert's Billy McCarthy gets US trip with Munster hurling team". The Kerryman. 2 May 1970. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Cork minor football teams: 1929-1969" (PDF). Cork GAA website. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Cork minor hurling teams: 1928-1969" (PDF). Cork GAA website. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Junior hurling". Munster GAA website. 29 May 2009. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Railway Cup Hurling". Munster GAA website. 11 June 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Medal arrives 45 years late!". Irish Independent. 6 February 2002. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Billy McCarthy". Terrace Talk website. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  9. ^ "Diamonds are forever: sixty years on from Kerry's last All Ireland hurling triumph". The Kerryman. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Club Titles - Kerry". Hogan Stand. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  11. ^ "The death has occurred of William (Bill) McCarthy". rip.ie. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.