Sean McCarthy
Name: Sean F. McCarthy
Born: Co. Cork
Position: Centre-Forward
Representative Honours: Ireland: 1 "Victory" Cap (1945); Northern Regional League; League of Ireland.
Club Honours: (with Cork United) League of Ireland Champion; FAI Cup Winner 1940/41, 1946/47, Runner-Up 1941/42, 1942/43; League of Ireland Shield; Munster Senior Cup; (with Belfast Celtic) "Regional" Gold Cup Winner 1945/46.
Club Career:
Born: Co. Cork
Position: Centre-Forward
Representative Honours: Ireland: 1 "Victory" Cap (1945); Northern Regional League; League of Ireland.
Club Honours: (with Cork United) League of Ireland Champion; FAI Cup Winner 1940/41, 1946/47, Runner-Up 1941/42, 1942/43; League of Ireland Shield; Munster Senior Cup; (with Belfast Celtic) "Regional" Gold Cup Winner 1945/46.
Club Career:
Clubs | Seasons | Signed | Fee | League | FA Cup | FL Cup | Europe | Others |
Cork United | - | - | - | ?/? | ?/? | ?/? | -/- | ?/? |
Belfast Celtic | 45/46-46/47 | 1945 | - | ?/? | ?/? | ?/? | -/- | ?/? |
Cork United | - | - | - | ?/? | ?/? | ?/? | -/- | ?/? |
TOTALS | ?/? | ?/? | ?/? | -/- | ?/? |
..
Biography:
The most prolific goalscorer in the League of Ireland during the Second World War, Sean McCarthy's totals of 16, 16 and 26 saw him top the League's goal charts for three consecutive seasons and fired Cork United to a host of successes in the League, FAI Cup, Shield and Munster Cup. He also played three times for the League of Ireland against the Northern Regional League during this time, scoring in a 4-3 defeat on St Patrick's Day 1944 and again in a 5-3 win in April 1945.
..
A full-time professional footballer, McCarthy was lured to Belfast Celtic in 1945 by the offer of a substantial wage. In his first campaign he notched an incredible 56 goals as Celtic claimed the "War-Time" Gold Cup and fell just short of regaining the Regional League title. While at Paradise he led the line in Ireland's first Victory International, a 1-0 defeat by England at Windsor Park. He also appeared for the Regional League against the Combined Sevices in September 1945.
..
Mid-way through the 1946/47 season McCarthy returned to Cork where he continued to score goals as if he'd never been away. He managed ten League goals and another in each of the matches it took to settle the FAI Cup 2-2, 2-0 over Bohemians. In 1947/48 he was the League of Ireland's topscorer for a fourth time.