Timmy McCarthy has been there and done that as a basketball player and coach

CORK'S Timmy McCarthy, the former Blue Demons coach and player was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year.

Having done it all on and off the court as a player and coach, Timmy was a very worthy recipient.

Timmy started playing basketball with Iona under the guidance of Seanie Murphy at age seven, he then moved to GH74 at 15 for two seasons, and then joined the Blued Demons Club.

While playing with Demons he won three league titles, three National Championships, a National Cup, and he captained them to victory in the British and Irish Federation Cup in 1983, a competition featuring teams from England, Wales and Scotland.

Tim also captained Ireland on 58 occasions in his 103 appearances at Olympic and European level, which was a great achievement when you consider he retired from playing due to a knee injury at the age of 29.

After he retired, he coached Demons to a 1993 Roy Curtis victory, Garvey’s Tralee to the 1996 Super League title, Demons to an U19 National Cup title in 1997, Kiltoom girls to Community Games success in 2003, (his daughter Karen played on that team) and Marist College Athlone to the Boys U19 All-Ireland league title in 2006 (his son Brian got MVP). 

McCarthy also coached at international level with the men’s senior Irish team at the 2001 European Championships, and he is in a very elite group that has captained and coached Ireland at senior International level in different sports.

In more recent times Timmy became better known for commentating for RTÉ on Olympic Basketball at the past five Olympic Games, on GAA matches for the Sunday Game, and was an on-course commentator at the Ryder Cup in the K Club in 2006.

When McCarthy was told his was receiving the Hall of Fame award he was so excited and proud that his family could be there for him on his big day.

“To join past recipients such as Paudi O'Connor, Liam McHale and Tom Wilkinson was so exciting for me, however, I was hoping at some stage to receive it, but then to actually get it, was awesome," McCarthy said.

“From my first steps with Seanie, I have played with, and coached so many top players down the years, who have contributed to my basketball journey, that to become a National Hall of Famer is the pinnacle of that journey for me.

"I had previously believed that captaining Ireland was the highest honour I had achieved in basketball, however, receiving the Hall of Fame just tops everything.

“I was so very humbled and honoured to be inducted into the National Hall of Fame and incredibly proud for both my family and myself. 

"Being a Hall of Famer is something special in any sport or walk of life and to now have this accolade attached to my name for ever is an incredible achievement not just for me, but for my family also.

“My family were so excited when we received the news and the pride they felt from my wife Ann to my nine grandchildren was incredible, to be able to share that moment with them was one of my most treasured memories that I have had in my life."

The former Northside native was always known for his fighting spirit and strong character on the court, however, he needed all these qualities when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018.

“On February 28th 2018 at 11.01am, I was told I had Prostate Cancer and underwent chemotherapy, radiation and hormone treatment for the next two years to deal with it.

“In 2022 and 2023, the same cancer came back and again I underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment in those two years, and I am still undergoing hormone treatment again.

“Living with cancer is very difficult from the first time you are told that you have it, to the ongoing battle that I am going through and it affects my family and me in so many ways. 

"The worry about my mortality, the visible effects of the treatment and the toughness of the journey is not only a challenge for me but for Ann and my family.

“However, life is for living, so I do the best I can every day to get on with life.

"I enjoy spending time with my family making memories, doing simple and special things that make me realise what are the important things in life are, which my late mother Maggie told me growing up in Cathedral Road were health and family and she was so right.

“I am very proud to say that since my illness in 2018, I have continued to work full time and I have been fully engaged with all of my clients at my own company McCarthy Consultancy be they in Ireland, Europe or Australia, and I look forward to doing so for many more years to come."