The Leeside legends series: Charlie McCarthy was a gentleman off the field but a deadly finisher on it

Charlie joined his beloved St Finbarr’s as a young lad but he had to wait until 1963 for his first taste of success when he helped his club win the Cork County Minor football championship.

That proved to be the highlight of McCarthy’s career as the September 1978 is a day he will never forget.

Losing games is something that Charlie never found easy to accept but in his own words he always trained harder the following week after defeat.

He was a deadly finisher and an opportunist par excellence.

FACTFILE:
Charlie McCarthy won his first All-Ireland with Cork in 1964 when the Rebels won the minor hurling title.
The Barrs man is the holder of six Cork Senior county championship medals.
Charlie captained Cork in 1978 to win the All-Ireland hurling championship as their impressive wins in 1976 and 1977 completed a magnificent three in a row.
McCarthy has a total of five senior All-Ireland medals and hurled until 1980 for Cork, after playing at the top level for 15 years.