Bill McCarthy (dual player)

(Redirected from Bill McCarthy (hurler))

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]

Bill McCarthy
Personal information
Irish name Liam Mac Cárthaigh
Sport Hurling
Position Left corner-forward
Born 1936
Dublin, Irish Free State
Died 10 December 2023 (aged 87)
Ardfert, County Kerry, Ireland
Occupation Veterinary surgeon
Club(s)
Years Club
Lees
St Brendan's, Ardfert
Club titles
Kerry titles 2
Colleges(s)
Years College
1953–1955
1955–1959
University College Cork
University College Dublin
College titles
Fitzgibbon titles 1
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1956–1969
1958
Kerry (JH)
Kerry (SF)
Inter-county titles
Munster titles 0
All-Irelands 0
NHL 0

Career

edit

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

edit

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

Honours

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

References

edit
  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. 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.