Club career McCarthy originally came from
Blackrock, Cork and as a youth he played
hurling as well as
association football. He played for
Cork Bohemians and
Fordsons before signing for
Shamrock Rovers on 6 November 1931. A number of
Scottish clubs, as well as
Birmingham City, made enquiries about signing him before he opted to join Rovers. In
1931–32 he was part of Rovers team that won the treble, winning the
League of Ireland, the
FAI Cup and the
League of Ireland Shield. Other members of the team included
Jimmy Daly,
John Joe Flood,
Paddy Moore,
Owen Kinsella,
David Byrne,
John Burke and
William Glen. After three years at Rovers, McCarthy joined
Sheffield United. He was signed by United following an impressive performance in a 2–2 draw between Rovers and United in the Duggan Cup. He made his debut against
Bradford City on 27 August 1934 in a 5–2 league win, making nine appearances in total and keeping two clean sheets. However a serious thigh injury forced him to return to Ireland. Despite been told he would never play again, McCarthy made a comeback and after a short spell at
Brideville he rejoined Shamrock Rovers in
1936–37.
International career Ireland On 8 May 1932 McCarthy made his one and only appearance for
Ireland in a 2–0 away win against the
Netherlands at the
Olympic Stadium.
League of Ireland XI On 14 April 1941 McCarthy represented the
League of Ireland XI against the
Irish League XI at
Windsor Park. ==Death==