![]() | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Sport | Gaelic football | ||
Position | Midfield | ||
Born | Dublin, Ireland | 1 March 1990||
Occupation | EBS | ||
Club(s) | |||
Years | Club | ||
Ballymun Kickhams | |||
Club titles | |||
Dublin titles | 2 | ||
Leinster titles | 1 | ||
Colleges(s) | |||
Years | College | ||
DCU | |||
College titles | |||
Sigerson titles | 1 | ||
Inter-county(ies) | |||
Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
2010–2024 | Dublin | 22 (1–2) | |
Inter-county titles | |||
Leinster titles | 14 | ||
All-Irelands | 9 | ||
NFL | 5 | ||
All Stars | 5 |
James McCarthy (born 1 March 1990) is a Gaelic footballer who plays for the Ballymun Kickhams club and, formerly, for the Dublin county team. He is widely regarded as one of Dublin's greatest ever players. [1] [2]
He was a student at Sacred Heart BNS Ballygall and St Kevin's College in Ballygall. [3]
His father John was also a Dublin senior inter-county player, who won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) on three occasions.
McCarthy attended DCU where he was a defender for the Gaelic football team. [4] In 2012, he won the Sigerson Cup and the O'Byrne Cup with the college.
McCarthy won two Dublin SFC titles with Ballymun, in 2012 and 2020. He added a Leinster Club SFC title in 2012. Ballymun then defeated Dr Crokes in the All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final before losing the 2013 All-Ireland Club SFC final to St Brigid's GAA (Roscommon).
McCarthy won the 2010 Leinster Under-21 Football Championship and All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship with Dublin.
He made his championship debut for Dublin against Laois in the 2011 Leinster SFC quarter-final, [5] winning his first Leinster SFC title against Wexford at Croke Park in July that year. [6] Dublin progressed to the 2011 All-Ireland SFC final against Kerry, [7] and McCarthy won his first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. The game finished on a scoreline of 1–12 to 1–11, in Dublin's favour. [8] McCarthy was nominated for GAA GPA Young Player of the Year for his performances.[ citation needed ]
![]() | This section needs expansionwith: everything that happened between 2011 and 2024. You can help by adding to it. (February 2025) |
On 4 November 2024, McCarthy announced his retirement from inter-county football, ending his 14-year senior career. In a released statement he said: "I have decided to retire from representing Dublin GAA at inter-county level, this decision hasn't been an easy one to make but I feel it's the right time." [9] [10] [11]
As of 2020, McCarthy was employed by AIB and lived within two kilometres of Poppintree Park, Albert College Park and Johnstown Park. [12]
It was McCarthy's tangle with Donegal substitute Martin McElhinney, ironically an ex-team-mate at DCU, that was particularly controversial as the Dublin defender's left hand made contact with McElhinney's eye area.