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Cork's Teddy McCarthy. Tom HonanInpho

‘My idol growing up’ - Cork GAA icon Teddy McCarthy hailed as a ‘true legend’

The GAA great passed away suddenly yesterday.

THE SUDDEN PASSING of Cork dual icon Teddy McCarthy at the age of 57, has prompted a wave of tributes from GAA figures around the country.

Best remembered for his historic achievement in winning All-Ireland senior hurling and football medals in the same year in 1990, the Sarsfields and Glanmire man enjoyed huge success elsewhere with Cork teams.

He won an All-Ireland senior hurling medal in 1986, a senior football honour in 1989, while that same year saw his playing exploits recognised with an All-Star award and the Texaco Footballer of the Year award.

Former team-mates Tomás Mulcahy spoke of the heartbreak for the Cork GAA family, while Ger Fitzgerald described McCarthy as a ‘great friend and team mate’.

Eoin Cadogan, a dual star with Cork in recent years, called McCarthy ‘one of the all time greats’.

teddy-mccarthy-and-bill-hennessy-1992 Teddy McCarthy in action against Kilkenny. INPHO INPHO

McCarthy’s iconic status is reflected in the tributes issued by GAA personalities around the country. Anthony Cunningham, who played for the Galway hurlers against him, hailed ‘his style & bravery’.

Limerick’s Ollie Moran described the Sarsfields player as his idol growing up and how he would spend hours ‘mimicking his leap and catch, in both hurling and football’.

Offaly’s Michael Duignan paid tribute to ‘a legend and a great character’. 

Kerry football figures Eoin Liston, Kieran Donaghy and Colm Cooper all offered their  condolences.

Meeath’s Anthony Moyles described him as ‘fearless, competitive, passionate’, with Sligo’s Eamonn O’Hara praising McCarthy’s capacity to play ‘both codes so efficiently, with ease’.

paul-curran-with-teddy-mccarthy Teddy McCarthy in action against Dublin. ©INPHO ©INPHO

Tributes were also paid from sporting figures outside of GAA with jockey Davy Russell hailing McCarthy’s iconic fielding and rugby star Ronan O’Gara describing him as someone who inspired ‘all Cork young fellas no matter what sport you played’. David Meyler hailed ‘a true legend’ that Cork had lost.

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