Charlie McCarthy v Tom Cashman: Vote for Cork's best city hurlers
Have your say in The Battle of the Bridge.
WITH your help, we’re looking to pick the best hurler from either side of St Patrick's Bridge from the last 50 years of action.
The Echo has pitched some of Cork’s finest hurling stars from the northside and southside of Cork city together for a series of fun head-to-head battles. Your votes will decide who goes through and you can see the full list of 16 northside and 16 southside players here.
We're now down to the final four.
CHARLIE McCarthy was undoubtedly delighted to have recently lost one of the many accolades that he holds.
Until this season, McCarthy was the last man to coach St Finbarr’s to a county senior hurling title, having been in charge as they beat Carbery after a replay in 1993. At the time, few could have thought that they would still be waiting for the next one in 2022 – even though he has been succeeded by Ger Cunningham, the corner-forward still has more than enough honours to his name.
Across a 15-year inter-county career, he scored 24-149, a tally that puts him fifth on the all-time Cork scorers list and a record of more than a goal every two games.
A dual minor in 1964, he scored 3-1 in the All-Ireland hurling final win over Laois and almost achieved a double but the footballers lost out to Offaly. That same year, he was part of a youthful Barrs side that lost the county final to Glen Rovers but they came back strongly the following year to defeat UCC.
He had made his senior debut for Cork that year and won senior and U21 All-Ireland medals in 1966 as the county claimed the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time since 1954. It would be the first of five Celtic Crosses for Charlie, the last of those as captain in 1978, while he finished with nine Munster championship medals.
He finished as the top scorer in the 1970 championship, which Cork won, while his first All-Star came in 1972, when the county lost the final to Kilkenny. Further All-Stars followed in 1977 and 1978 – in 2001, to celebrate 30 years of the scheme, he was named at right corner-forward in the Supreme All-Stars team.
Another victory in 1978 came when he captained Munster to the Railway Cup.
He was also involved in inter-county management: in 1985, along with Johnny Clifford he led the Cork minor hurlers to Munster and then All-Ireland glory. Three years later, when Clifford was forced to resign as senior manager due to health reasons, McCarthy was appointed but 1988 proved to be a disappointing year as Tipperary were on a high after the famine-ending previous year while Cork were in a lull between the 1986 and 1990 triumphs.
McCarthy bounced back from that to guide the Barrs to the Seán Óg Murphy Cup in 1993, yet another distinction to be added to the long list.
TOM Cashman has four All-Ireland medals – not exactly a unique haul in Cork but what sets the Blackrock man apart is that he played in three different positions across the victorious seasons.
Initially, he was midfield for the second and third legs of the 1976-78 three-in-a-row; then, in 1984 he was right half-back and in 1986 he captained the Rebels to glory from centre-back. Throw in a late 1970s stint at number 12 and his versatility is further underlined.
“I was in midfield with Tim Crowley in my first couple of years,” he said.
“Gerald would have been midfield with Pat Moylan the previous year and then Timmy and myself came in. About two years later, when John Fenton came in and made midfield his own, Gerald and Timmy and myself were the half-forward line! Once you could hurl, you could play anywhere, really.”
Cashman, his Blackrock clubmate Dermot McCurtain and Crowley came on to the panel after Cork’s 1976 win and they immediately integrated themselves.
“When we came into the team, we were accepted straight away and we were told that we’d learn our apprenticeship with those guys and we did,” he said.
“In your first couple of years, to start off and win two All-Irelands was fantastic.
Prior to that, Cashman had won a minor All-Ireland double with Cork in 1974 as well as helping the county to U21 hurling glory in 1976 and winning the county SHC with Blackrock in 1975.
Despite his tender years, he displayed real maturity in the senior team – in 1977 and 1978, he was the Munster final man of the match and he ended both years with All-Star Awards. While Cork lost the 1982 and 1983 finals, he won a third All-Star in ’83 and was integral for the 1984 centenary win.
With the Rockies, further county senior titles were added in 1978, 1979 and 1985, the latter victory earning him the Cork captaincy for 1986.
After an eighth Munster medal was secured, Cork made it to the All-Ireland final against Galway, whom they had lost to in the 1985 semi-final, but the tables were turned in the decider as Cashman won his fourth Celtic Cross.
Later, he would serve as a selector as Jimmy Barry-Murphy led Cork to win the 1999 All-Ireland and then he became manager after JBM’s departure.
As a player, his legacy was secured with selection on the Cork hurling Team of the Millennium.
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