SIXTEEN teams will begin the race for the Mick McCarthy Cup this Friday, July 28th but only one will mount the winner’s rostrum on October 22nd.
By then, 24 group games and seven play-off games, not counting replays, will have been played and the winner will represent the Carbery division in the county junior A football championship.
The Mick McCarthy Cup represents the pinnacle of junior football in Carbery and no stone will be left unturned to bring home the silverware by the clubs involved.
The cup was first presented for the South-West junior A football championship in 1998, replacing the historic Little Norah Cup, which had been in use since 1949. The cup commemorates the late, great ‘Small’ Mick McCarthy of O’Donovan Rossa, one of the greatest and most popular footballers ever to kick a football in West Cork. Tragically killed in a car accident in February 1998 at the young age of 32, the Rossa club and the McCarthy family presented the perpetual cup to the Carbery Board to replace the aging Little Norah Cup.
Carbery Rangers became the inaugural winners of the cup in 1998, beating reigning champions, Tadhg MacCárthaigh in the final. Eugene Murphy was the first captain to receive the cup, from late chairperson of the Carbery Board, James O’Neill of Castlehaven. During the past 25 years, ten clubs have taken home the Mick McCarthy Cup as South West champions, Tadhg MacCárthaigh leading the honours list with five titles. The present holders are St James, who will not be able to defend their title as they have been promoted to county premier junior.
Winners
Tadhg MacCárthaigh: (5) 2002, 2004, 2006, 2012, 2021.
Bandon: (4) 2007, 2008, 2011, 2015.
Kilmacabea: (3) 2017, 2018, 2020.
Ilen Rovers: (3) 1999, 2000, 2001.
Carbery Rangers: (2) 1998, 2003.
Gabriel Rangers: (2) 2010, 2016.
St Mary’s: (2) 2009, 2014.
St James: (2) 2019, 2022.
O’Donovan Rossa: (1) 2005.
St Colum’s: (1) 2013.
