Sars mourn the loss of club legend Dave McCarthy

SARSFIELDS hurling club was in mourning this week at the sad passing of one of its greatest clubmen.

Dave ‘Fox’ McCarthy who died over the weekend was a grandson of the Billy O’Neill, one of the club founders back in 1896 and during his time serving the club he held a number of positions.

He was treasurer for a number of years and up to the time of his death he was assistant treasurer.

He was also a hurler of note and featured on a Cork minor hurling panel in 1972 alongside Bertie Óg Murphy, Gearoid Duggan, Richard Fitzgerald and Mick McCarthy.

He played with the renowned Sars club for many years, winning a county U21 medal in 1975 when the Riverstown club defeated Bandon in the final.

He also played senior hurling with the club and in later years he was very much involved with them as a sideline mentor.

Club Secretary Jim Murphy described him to the Echo as an outstanding clubman who gave fantastic service to the club.

"Without doubt, he was a hugely popular figure within the club down here in Riverstown, holding numerous positions right up to the time of his sad passing over the past weekend.

"He was a great fundraiser in the club and you could say that he was a success in any position that he held. He had a great affection for Sars, both as a player of distinction and thereafter as a club officer.

"In recent years he was helping out with the senior team and within that bunch of players he was hugely popular. He will be a great loss to us for various reasons because club people of his stature are never easy to get.

"He took great pride in the recent success of the senior team when they broke through to win the county again back in 2008 and in the years that followed." 

'Fox' worked for over years with An Post before he retired there a few years back. He is survived by his wife Eileen and son Ryan.

Meanwhile, Fr O’Neill’s have appointed former Erin’s Own coach Sean Prendergast as their coach for the shorter season ahead.

He becomes the third Waterford man to coach the club in recent years, succeeding James O’Connor and Pat Bennett.

O’Connor led the club to Cork County PIHC glory last season before he left to take up a similar role with All-Ireland senior club champions Ballyhale-shamrocks.

Heir opening game in the Kilkenny championship will be against Tullaroan, the club that defeated O’Neill’s in the All-Ireland club final back in early Spring.