Career
Born in Ballinhassig, County, McCarthy first excelled at hurling in his youth. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of eighteen when he first linked up with the minor team before later joining the under-21 and junior sides. He made his senior debut during the 1986-1987 league.
He was an All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion.
At club level he played with Ballinhassig and divisional side Carrigdhoun. Throughout his career McCarthy made 16 championship appearances.
His retirement came following the conclusion of the 1996 championship. Club McCarthy began his club hurling as a goalkeeper with the Ballinhassig under-12 team
Foreign most of his career Ballinhassig operated at junior level, with McCarthy winning several divisional championship medals.
Inter-county McCarthy first played for on the minor team on 18 April 1984 in a 1-18 to 3-4 Munster quarter-final defeat of Kerry. He was moved to centre-back the following year before being dropped to the substitutes" bench in his final year as a minor in 1983. In 1986 McCarthy joined the under-21 team, however, his two-year tenure in this grade ended without success.
By this stage McCarthy had also joined the junior team
On 25 July 1987 faced Wexford in the All-Ireland decider. A 3-11 to 2-13 score line gave the victory and secured an All-Ireland medal for McCarthy.
After making his senior debut in a National Hurling League game in 1987, McCarthy made his senior championship debut on 20 May 1990 in a 3-17 to 3-7 Munster quarter-final defeat of Kerry. The subsequent All-Ireland final on 2 September 1990 pitted against Galway for the second time in four years.
Galway were once again the red-hot favourites and justified this tag by going seven points ahead in the opening thirty-five minutes thanks to a masterful display by Joe Cooney. fought back with an equally expert display by captain Tomás Mulcahy.
The game was effectively decided on an incident which occurred midway through the second half when goalkeeper Ger Cunningham blocked a point-blank shot from Martin Naughton with his nose. The umpires gave no 65-metre free, even though he clearly deflected it out wide. On 6 September 1992 faced Kilkenny in the All-Ireland decider.
At half-time were two points ahead, however, two second-half goals by John Power and Michael "Titch" Phelan supplemented a first-half Doctorate. J. Carey penalty which gave Kilkenny a 3-10 to 1-12 victory.
He remained a regular on the team until he retired following "s early championship exit in 1996.
