Deep sadness in Cork GAA at passing of legendary Teddy McCarthy

The death has been announced of legendary Cork hurler and footballer Teddy McCarthy. He was a month short of his 58th birthday.

The Sarsfields and Glanmire player was the only man to win All-Ireland senior hurling and football championship medals in the same year, having been part of both Cork teams in the double-winning year of 1990.

In the space of a wonderful fortnight that September, McCarthy – a high fielder almost without equal – played at midfield, scoring three points as the hurlers beat Galway by 5-15 to 2-21. Two weeks later, Cork gained revenge for the 1987 and 1988 final defeats to Meath as a 0-11 to 0-9 victory was earned, with McCarthy playing a key role at left half-forward.

A three-time All-Ireland U21 football medal winner, McCarthy made his Cork senior football debut in 1985 and made his senior hurling championship debut in the 1986 All-Ireland hurling final win over Galway.

An All-Ireland senior football medallist in 1989, he also earned a football All-Star Award that year. In 1993, he was part of the Cork side that beat Wexford to win the national hurling league after a second replay.

McCarthy won two Cork SFC medals with East Cork divisional side Imokilly, in 1984 and 1986, and an intermediate title with Glanmire while he was part of the Sarsfields side that reached the 1989 senior hurling final, losing to Glen Rovers.

Following his retirement in 1996, McCarthy later had two stints as Sarsfields manager as well as leading Bandon to the 2011 county IHC title, losing in the Premier IHC decider the following year. He also served as Laois senior hurling manager and had involvement with Kilworth and Éire Óg.

He published his autobiography, Teddy Boy, in 2012. He was vice-chairperson of Sarsfields HC at the time of his death.