Mick McCarthy (Gaelic footballer)

{{Infobox GAA player

| code= Football

| sport = Gaelic football

| image =

| name = Mick McCarthy

| irish = Mícheál Mac Cárthaigh

| fullname = Michael McCarthy

| feet = 5

| inches = 10

| occupation = Oil company area manager

| nickname = Small Mick

| county = Cork

| province = Munster

| club = O'Donovan Rossa
→ Carbery

| clposition = Forward

| clubs =

| clyears = 1982-1998
1983-1985

| clapps(points) = 36 (15-170)
5 (1-10)

| clcounty = 1

| clprovince= 1

| clallireland = 1

| counties = Cork

| icposition = Left corner-forward

| icyears = 1985-1993

| icapps(points) = 17 (3-22)

| icprovince = 4

| icallireland = 2

| nfl = 1

| allstars = 0

| clupdate =

| icupdate =

| birth_date= 8 May 1965

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1998|2|5|1965|5|8}}

| birth_place=Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland

| death_place = Wilton, Cork, Ireland

}}

Michael McCarthy (8 May 1965 – 5 February 1998) was an Irish Gaelic footballer. At club level he played with O'Donovan Rossa and divisional side Carbery and was also a member of the Cork senior football team.

Early life

Born and raised in Skibbereen, County Cork, Mick first played as a schoolboy in various juvenile competitions at St. Patrick's Boys' National School before later lining out as a student at St. Fachtna's De La Salle College in Cork. He was a member of the first St. Fachtna's team to win the Simcox Cup in 1981 before claiming the Corn Uí Mhuirí title in 1982.{{cite web|url=https://www.southernstar.ie/sport/football-heroes-who-put-st-fachtnas-de-la-salle-skibbereen-on-the-map-4115172|title=Football heroes who put St Fachtna's de la Salle Skibbereen on the map|publisher=The Southern Star|date=1 March 2016|accessdate=28 July 2022}}

Club career

McCarthy began his club career during a four-year tenure with the O'Donovan Rossa under-12 team. After winning every available divisional title during that time, he also claimed a Cork U14FC title in 1977. McCarthy progressed through the various underage grades before winning a South West JAFC title in his first year at adult level in 1982.{{cite web|url=https://sportsmanager.ie/cake/gaa2/odonavanrossagaa/taggedNews/370219/1717/tim_healy_an_inspiring_captain_of1985_team|title=One of Rossa's great players for over a decade|publisher=O'Donovan Rossa GAA website|date=|accessdate=28 July 2022}} His performances in this grade earned selection to the Carbery divisional team from 1983 to 1985. McCarthy enjoyed further success with O'Donovan Rossa when he won a Cork U21FC title after a one-point defeat of St. Finbarr's in 1984.

After losing consecutive Cork IFC finals in 1983 and 1984, McCarthy was on the winning side when O'Donovan Rossa beat Glanmire by 3-11 to 0-08 in the 1985 final.{{cite web|url=https://sportsmanager.ie/cake/gaa2/odonavanrossagaa/news/370010/1985_a_b_r_i_l_l_i_a_n_t_y_e_a_r_f_o_r_r_o_s_s_a_s|title=Success at many levels|publisher=O'Donovan Rossa GAA website|date=|access-date=26 July 2022|first=|last=}} He also ended the championship as top scorer with 0-30. After seven years in the senior grade, McCarthy was team captain when O'Donovan Rossa beat Nemo Rangers by five points to win the 1992 Cork SFC final.{{cite web|url=https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/arid-40113401.html|title=Cork football rewatch: Skibb's win in the 1992 county final had a huge impact|publisher=Echo Live|date=1 June 2020|accessdate=28 July 2022}} After securing the Munster Club Championship title after a defeat of St. Senan's, he guided O'Donovan Rossa to a defeat of Éire Óg in the 1993 All-Ireland club final replay.{{cite web|url=https://carlow-nationalist.ie/2020/06/19/superb-eire-og-won-admirers-during-glory-years/|title=Superb Éire Óg won admirers during glory years|publisher=The Nationalist|date=19 June 2020|access-date=28 July 2022}} McCarthy was top scorer at county, provincial and national level throughout the 1992-93 season after scoring 6-60 across all three competitions.{{cite web|url=https://www.southernstar.ie/sport/roundup/articles/2017/10/14/4147179-skibb-plan-was-simple-get-the-ball-to-mick-as-fast-as-possible/|title=Skibb plan was simple: get the ball to Mick as fast as possible|publisher=The Southern Star|date=14 October 2017|access-date=15 April 2019}}

McCarthy was top scorer for the 1994 Cork SFC campaign which eventually ended with O'Donovan Rossa being beaten by Castlehaven in the final.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20357332.html|title=How West was won in ‘94|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=3 October 2015|access-date=15 April 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.southernstar.ie/sport/long-read-castlehaven-v-odonovan-rossa-in-1994-was-the-game-that-nobody-wanted-to-lose-4181509|title=Castlehaven v O'Donovan Rossa in 1994 was the game that nobody wanted to lose|publisher=The Southern Star|date=27 October 2019|access-date=15 April 2022}} His last championship game for the club was an 11-point defeat by University College Cork in the 1997 second round.

Inter-county career

McCarthy began a two-year association with the Cork minor football team in 1982. After little success in his first year on the team, he won a Munster MFC medal the following year before losing the 1983 All-Ireland minor final to Derry.{{cite web|url=https://munster.gaa.ie/history/minor-football/|title=Minor football|publisher=Munster GAA website|date=|accessdate=28 July 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.derrynow.com/news/features/612669/derry-gaa-in-the-1980s-laying-the-building-blocks.html|title=Derry GAA in the 1980s: Laying the building blocks|publisher=Derry Now|date=25 February 2021|accessdate=28 July 2022}} After leaving the minor grade, McCarthy was immediately drafted onto the under-21 team. He never lost a game during his three-year tenure with the team and won three consecutive All-Ireland U21FC medals from 1984 to 1986.{{cite web|url=https://munster.gaa.ie/history/under-21-football/|title=Under 21 football|publisher=Munster GAA website|date=|accessdate=28 July 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/magnificent-7-a-look-back-at-the-most-memorable-u21-finals-1.3062422|title=Magnificent 7: A look back at the most memorable U21 finals|publisher=Irish Times|date=27 April 2017|accessdate=28 July 2022}} During this time, McCarthy was also drafted onto the Cork junior football team and he claimed a winners' medal in that grade after a 22-point defeat of Warwickshire in the 1984 All-Ireland junior final.{{cite web|url=https://munster.gaa.ie/history/junior-football/|title=Junior football|date=|publisher=Munster GAA website|access-date=18 August 2021|first=|last=}}

McCarthy earned a call-up to the Cork senior football team while he was still in the under-21 grade when he was listed as a substitute for Cork's 1985 Munster semi-final game against Tipperary. He played in a number of National League games over the following few seasons before soon making the championship starting fifteen. McCarthy scored two points from left corner-forward in the 1988 Munster final defeat of Kerry, but was held scoreless in the 1988 All-Ireland final replay defeat by Meath.{{cite web|url=https://munster.gaa.ie/history/sf_teams/|title=Senior football|date=|publisher=Munster GAA website|access-date=18 August 2021|first=|last=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/no-love-lost-in-1988-1.88351|title=No love lost in 1988|publisher=Irish Times|date=21 September 1996|accessdate=28 July 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-30947945.html|title=What previous drawn finals tell us where the advantage lies|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=3 September 2019|accessdate=28 July 2022}}

McCarthy lost his place on the starting fifteen the following year, but won a National League title and a second consecutive Munster SFC medal as a non-playing substitute. He was again listed as a substitute for the 1989 All-Ireland final against Mayo, but collected a winners' medal after coming on as a substitute for Shea Fahy in the 0-17 to 1-11 victory.{{cite web|url=https://www.gaa.ie/football/news/flashback-1989-all-ireland-final-mayo-cork/|title=Flashback: 1989 SFC Final – Mayo v Cork|publisher=GAA website|date=21 July 2017|accessdate=28 July 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.the42.ie/down-memory-lane-a-potted-history-of-cork-v-mayo-187104-Jul2011/|title=Down memory lane: A potted history of Cork v Mayo|publisher=The 42|date=29 July 2011|accessdate=28 July 2022}} McCarthy was back on the starting fifteen a year later and won a third consecutive Munster SFC medal. He scored two points from left corner-forward as Cork retained the All-Ireland SFC title following an 0-11 to 0-09 win over Meath in the 1989 All-Ireland final.{{cite web|url=https://www.gaa.ie/football/news/flashback-1990-all-ireland-sfc-final-cork-v-meath/|title=Flashback: 1990 All-Ireland SFC Final - Cork v Meath|publisher=GAA website|date=16 September 2020|accessdate=28 July 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/arid-40124327.html|title=Cork football rewatch: The chaos and carnage of the 1990 final against Meath|publisher=Echo Live|date=29 March 2020|accessdate=28 July 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40050029.html|title=The Double 30 years on: 'If we kept 15 on the field we would have tarred them'|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=16 September 2020|accessdate=28 July 2022}}

O'Donovan Rossa's 1992 county final triumph paved the way for McCarthy to take over the Cork captaincy for the 1993 season. He won a fourth Munster SFC medal after a defeat of Tipperary before leading Cork to a defeat by Derry in the 1993 All-Ireland final.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2020/06/12/news/that-was-our-year-derry-s-1993-all-ireland-triumph-1970091/|title=That was our year: Derry's 1993 All-Ireland triumph|publisher=The Irish News|date=11 June 2020|accessdate=28 July 2022}}

Death

McCarthy was returning from a hare coursing meeting in Clonmel when he was involved in a road traffic accident at the then-unfinished Dunkettle Interchange in Cork on 4 February 1998.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/cork-football-tributes-paid-to-accident-victim-mick-mccarthy-1.132477|title=Cork football tributes paid to accident victim Mick McCarthy|publisher=Irish Times|date=6 February 1998|accessdate=28 July 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20340587.html|title=CORK DOUBLE 1990: Remembering football stars John Kerins and Michael McCarthy|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=4 July 2015|accessdate=28 July 2022}} He suffered extensive injuries and died at Cork University Hospital on 5 February 1998, aged 33.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/horror-crash-after-u-turn-on-new-dual-carriageway-26179037.html|title=Horror crash after U-turn on new dual carriageway|publisher=Irish Independent|date=1 July 1998|accessdate=28 July 2022}} McCarthy was the first member of Cork's 1989-1990 All-Ireland-winning teams to die.