Teddy McCarthy
Encyclopedia
Teddy McCarthy is a town in County Cork, Ireland with a population of 15,498....
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
) is a retired Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
dual player
Dual player
Dual player or dual star is a term used in Gaelic games to describe a player who plays both Men's Gaelic football and Hurling or Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie. The player doesn't necessarily have to play at the same standard in both sports...
. 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 Sarsfield's and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1986 until 1996. McCarthy also played Gaelic football
Gaelic 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 Glanmire
Glanmire GFC
Glanmire GFC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Glanmire in Cork, Ireland. Its Gaelic Football team participates in competitions organized by Cork GAA, and is a member of Imokilly division...
and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1987 until 1995. He is the only player in the history of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
to have won senior All-Ireland medals in both codes in the same year. He is also the current manager of the Laois senior hurling team.
Biography
Teddy McCarthy was born in GlanmireGlanmire
Glanmire literally meaning ‘The valley of the small fish; The valley of the ploughed land:' The Still Vale: The Valley of the Young Fish) is a town in County Cork, Ireland with a population of 15,498....
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 1965. One of a family of eight he was educated locally in Glanmire. McCarthy’s talent as a hurler was recognised at a young age and when he was fourteen he was drafted into the North Monastery
The North Monastery
The North Monastery is a collection of primary, secondary and a Gaelcholáiste schools located at Our Lady's Mount, Cork City, Republic of Ireland.-History:...
team that played in the Dr. Harty Cup
Dr. Harty Cup
The Dr. Harty Cup is a hurling competition for schools in the province of Munster in Ireland. The cup is presented to the winners of the Munster Colleges Senior "A" Hurling Championship. Players have to be under the age of 19 to compete. The winning team represents Munster in the Dr. Croke Cup...
hurling competition. McCarthy later worked as a sales rep for Beamish and Crawford
Beamish and Crawford
Beamish and Crawford is the longest-established brewery in Cork, Ireland. Established in 1792 by William Beamish and William Crawford on the site of an existing porter brewery, it has had a number of owners over the centuries...
Club
McCarthy played his club hurling with his local Sarsfield's team and his club football with the local team in GlanmireGlanmire GFC
Glanmire GFC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Glanmire in Cork, Ireland. Its Gaelic Football team participates in competitions organized by Cork GAA, and is a member of Imokilly division...
. Effectively they are the same club, however, they are known by different names for each code. He enjoyed little success with these clubs in the respective county championships, however, McCarthy also lined out with the 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...
divisional football team. As a member of this team he collected senior county titles in 1984 and 1986.
Inter-county
McCarthy first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a footballer at underage levels for Cork. He won a MunsterMunster Minor Football Championship
The Munster Minor Football Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council. The current Munster Minor football champions are Tipperary. Clare won the inaugural...
title at minor level in 1983 following a defeat of 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...
. McCarthy later lined out in the All-Ireland minor final, however, Derry
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
emerged victorious by just two points.
McCarthy later ‘graduated’ onto the Cork under-21 team where he enjoyed much more success. He missed Cork’s victory in the Munster final of 1984, however, he came on as a substitute against Mayo
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Cork won that game by 0-9 to 0-6 giving McCarthy a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months...
medal. 1985 saw McCarthy add a Munster
Munster Under-21 Football Championship
The Munster Under-21 Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Munster, in Ireland....
under-21 medal to his collection following an eleven-point trouncing of 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....
. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw McCarthy play at centre-forward against Derry. ‘The Rebels’ avenged their defeat at minor level two years previously by beating Derry. It was McCarthy’s second All-Ireland under-21 medal. In 1986 Cork continued their provincial dominance. A narrow win over 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...
gave McCarthy his second Munster under-21 medal. He later played in a third successive All-Ireland final in that grade with Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
providing the opposition. The game was a one-sided affair as the Cork team were the easy winners on a score line of 3-16 to 0-12. It was McCarthy’s third consecutive All-Ireland under-21 medal.
By this stage McCarthy’s hurling skills had been noticed by the Cork selectors and he was named as a substitute on the Cork senior team for the 1986 Munster Senior Hurling Championship
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....
final against Clare. Cork won on that occasion making it five-in-a-row of Munster titles, however, McCarthy never came off the bench. Following that victory he went on holidays and missed Cork’s All-Ireland semi-final against Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
. ‘The Rebels’ were less than convincing in that match and McCarthy was surprised on his return to Ireland to find out that he was to make his championship debut in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
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....
final against 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,...
. Galway were the red hot favourites to take the title and defeat Cork for the first time in a championship decider. The pundits and commentators got it wrong as an open game of hurling saw Cork score 4-13 to Galway’s 2-15. A four-point win gave Cork the title and gave McCarthy his 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....
hurling medal.
In 1987 McCarthy was a firm fixture on both the Cork hurling and football teams. The hurlers surrendered their provincial crown to Tipperary; however, the footballers were just beginning a remarkable run of success. After a draw and a replay ‘the Rebel’s broke Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry 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 Kerry...
’s stranglehold on provincial football with a 0-13 to 1-5 victory. It was McCarthy’s first senior Munster
Munster Senior Football Championship
The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months...
medal. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cork play Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
for the first time in twenty years. Cork stormed into an early lead, however, it was Meath who led by a point at half-time. The second half saw Larry Tompkins
Larry Tompkins
Larry Tompkins is a retired Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He played football at various times with his local clubs Eadestown in Kildare and Castlehaven in Cork. He also played football with both the Kildare and Cork senior inter-county teams throughout the 1980s and 1990s...
kick six of his eight frees wide, resulting in a 1-14 to 0-11 defeat for Cork.
1988 saw McCarthy collect a second Munster
Munster Senior Football Championship
The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months...
medal with a narrow 1-14 to 0-16 win over archrivals Kerry. Cork later qualified for their second consecutive All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
final with Meath providing the opposition once again. Cork stormed ahead after just three minutes when McCarthy scored the only goal of five consecutive All-Ireland final appearances for Cork. Meath fought back and secured a 0-12 to 1-9 draw. The replay proved to be a tough, controversial affair with Meath reduced to fourteen men with the sending off of Gerry McEntee
Gerry McEntee
Gerry McEntee was the manager of the 2008 Dublin minor football team and is a retired inter-county Irish Gaelic footballer for County Meath in Ireland. He enjoyed much success playing inter-county football in the Eighties & early Nineties on the Meath teams managed by Sean Boylan, for whom he...
. In spite of being outnumbered Meath still won the game by 0-13 to 0-12.
1989 began well with McCarthy playing a key role in helping Cork to claim the National Football League
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
title. He later added a third Munster medal to his collection following another win over Kerry. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Mayo
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
play Cork in a unique pairing. Cork were on top for much of the game, however, a goal by substitute Anthony Finnerty gave Mayo a brief lead. Mayo failed to score for the last nineteen minutes as McCarthy took over and gave a masterful display at midfield. Cork held on to win the game by 0-17 to 1-11. It was McCarthy’s first senior All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
football medal, an honour which made him the fifteenth player to be a dual All-Ireland medal winner. More personal honours were to follow when he was presented with a coveted 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. McCarthy also became the second layer from Cork to be presented with the prestigious Texaco Footballer of the Year
Texaco Footballer of the Year
The Texaco Footballer of the Year is a Gaelic football award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a footballer of outstanding excellence...
title.
1990 proved to be a memorable year for McCarthy and for Cork. A key member of the senior hurling team, he missed Cork’s victory over Tipp in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship
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....
final. He also missed the Munster football tie as Cork trounced Kerry by 2-23 to 1-11. The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
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....
final that year pitted Cork against Galway for the second time in four years. In spite of missing out on the provincial hurling final McCarthy lined out at midfield in this game. Galway were the bookies favourites and justified this tag by going seven points ahead. Cork fought back with an expert display by Tomás Mulcahy
Tomás Mulcahy
Tomás Mulcahy is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Glen Rovers and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1983 until 1994. Mulcahy currently works as a pundit with The Sunday Game...
and went on to win a high-scoring and open game of hurling by 5-15 to 2-12. It was McCarthy’s second All-Ireland hurling medal and he first half of a remarkable double was competed. Two weeks after this victory McCarthy was back in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
playing in the All-Ireland football final. Old rivals Meath were the opponents on this occasion as the two sides met for the third time in four years. Once again the game was a close affair with Cork’s Colm O'Neill
Colm O'Neill (born 1964)
Colm O'Neill is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football and hurling with his local club Midleton and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county football team from 1984 until 1991....
being sent off. In spite of being reduced to fourteen men Cork won the game by 0-11 to 0-9. The Double
The Double (Gaelic games)
The Double is a term in Gaelic games that refers to a county winning the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in the same year. Other major trophies won in combination in the same year at minor or under-21 levels are also often referred to as...
was done and McCarthy wrote his name in the history books by adding an All-Ireland football medal to the hurling medal he won two weeks earlier.
In 1991 Cork surrendered both of their provincial crowns to Tipperary in hurling and to Kerry in football. The following year McCarthy tasted more success with the Cork hurlers. In spite of already having two All-Ireland medals in that code he had yet to win a Munster hurling medal. All that changed in 1992 when he came on as a substitute to help Cork defeat Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
by 1-22 to 3-11. Cork later qualified for the All-Ireland final where 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. ‘The Cats’ played against a strong wind in the first half and were only two points down at the interval thanks to a goal by D.J. Carey. Further goals by John Power
John Power (hurler)
John Power is a former Irish sportsperson who played hurling with his local club John Lockes and Kilkenny from 1986 to 2004. In that time, he won four All-Ireland titles and two All Star awards, as well as having the honour of being included on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century...
and Michael Phelan
Michael Phelan (hurler)
Michael 'Titch' Phelan , from Glenmore, County Kilkenny, Ireland, is a former inter-county hurler. Phelan was formally recognised as a sportsperson of national significance in 1992 when nominated as a GAA Allstar. He played both for his local club Glenmore and as a member of the Kilkenny senior...
gave Kilkenny a 3-10 to 1-12 victory.
In 1993 McCarthy added to his already impressive medal tally. The start of the year saw him collect a National Hurling League
National 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...
title following a three-game saga with 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 hurling championship hopes later ended on their first outing. In spite of this McCarthy captured a fourth Munster football medal as Tipperary fell heavily in the provincial final. Another All-Ireland final appearance beckoned as Derry provided the opposition. The game was yet another close encounter; however, a late goal won the day for Derry who secured a 1-14 to 2-8 victory.
The defeat in the All-Ireland final was avenged somewhat in 1994 as Cork defeated Tipperary in the provincial football final. McCarthy came on as a substitute in that 2-19 to 3-9 victory to collect a fifth Munster medal. Unfortunately, Cork were later defeated by Down
Down GAA
The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Down GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Down...
in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
semi-final.
In 1995 Cork were still the kingpins of Munster football. Kerry were defeated easily by 0-15 to 1-9 with McCarthy coming on as a substitute once again to collect his sixth and final Munster football winners’ medal. The All-Ireland semi-final was a similar situation to the previous year as 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...
defeated Cork by 1-12 to 0-12.
This was McCarthy’s last big occasion with the Cork footballers. He continued playing with the senior hurling team in 1996, however, Cork were defeated by Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
for the first time in seventy-five years at Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in the Ballintemple area of Cork in Ireland, where major hurling and Gaelic football matches are played. It is the home of Cork GAA...
. This defeat brought the curtain down on McCarthy’s inter-county career.
Provincial
McCarthy also played 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 inter-provincial football competition. He lined out with his province on a number of occasions, however, he never collected a Railway Cup medal.
International Rules
McCarthy also played with IrelandIreland international rules football team
The Ireland International rules football team is the representative team for Ireland in international rules football, a compromise between Gaelic football and Australian rules football...
in the International Rules series of games
1986 International Rules series
The 1986 International Rules series took place in Australia and consisted of three Test matches between the Australian and Irish international rules football teams.-Summary:1st Test Venue: WACA Ground, Perth Crowd: Unknown2nd Test...
in 1986. He made one appearance for his country in the third meeting of Ireland and Australia, however, he was sent off after scoring a great point. Ireland went on to win the three-game series nonetheless.