JOE MCCARTHY IS a proud Leinster man but his Ireland team-mates have been giving him a ribbing.
You see, his parents are Munster folk.
McCarthy’s mother, Paula, hails from Cashel in Tipperary. His father, Joe, is from Castletownbere in West Cork.
“A few of the lads have been giving me a bit of slagging that I’ve more Munster in me,” says the Ireland second row with a smile.
McCarthy himself was born in New York when his father’s work with AIB brought him there, but the family was back in Ireland by the time Joe was three. They settled in Dublin and his parents have had no choice but to start supporting Leinster.
Joe is part of the senior squad while his younger brother, Paddy, is in of the academy after impressing at prop for the Ireland U20s last season. Their older brother, Andrew, plays tag rugby with the special needs team Seapoint Dragons, so rugby is truly a family affair now.
Joe says he and Paddy would “always be wrestling” when they were growing up and despite their parents not having played, the lads all loved rugby as soon as they took it up.
“It’s always what we’ve done pretty much for our whole lives,” says Joe. “Usually you get nervous for a game and my brother would be like, ‘This is all you’ve done for the last 15 years of your life, all we were doing was rugby,’ so he sort of calms me down.
“It all started in Stradbrook [at Blackrock RFC], playing all the age grades up, me and my brother especially, we’d watch rugby together on TV, Super Rugby in the mornings, watch the internationals if the All Blacks were playing in the mornings on Saturdays. All that, it’s been a huge part of our lives.”
McCarthy went to school in Blackrock College but he wasn’t a school star. It was only in his final year that he really started to show real potential, then he went on to shine for Trinity in the All-Ireland League while he was in the Leinster sub-academy, earning a place in the Ireland U20 squad despite being a year young for that level.
That helped McCarthy secure a spot in the Leinster academy but he was hit by a bad hamstring injury in the 2020/21 season. When he got back, playing for Trinity was important again.
“It was huge,” says McCarthy. “They are fantastic, especially when you’re young, it’s straight into senior rugby, it’s physical.
“And in the AIL, it’s class because you can kind of… when you are with Ireland and Leinster, you’re in a system the way you play to show your strengths, but in the AIL, you can try a few things, practice these little skills, try a few things that maybe other coaches would give out to you, where you have more licence in your club team.”
McCarthy pays tribute to Trinity coaches Tony Smeeth and Hugh Maguire for their role in his progress.
After recovering from the hamstring injury, McCarthy never really looked back. He made his Leinster debut in January 2022 and Ireland boss Andy Farrell liked what he saw. McCarthy spent a week training with the Irish squad only a few months later.
The 6ft 6ins lock toured New Zealand with Farrell’s men last summer, then got his Test debut against Australia in November 2022. An ankle injury meant he didn’t feature in this year’s Six Nations, but he was always part of the World Cup plan.
There was some surprise that Munster’s Jean Kleyn was left out of Ireland’s wider training squad this summer, but Farrell and Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell felt they had their tighthead lock in McCarthy.
His performances in the warm-up games against Italy and England showed why Ireland have been so excited about him and McCarthy could now play a big role in the World Cup. Such is his dynamism, size, and energy, that he will be pushing for a place on the Irish bench when it comes to the biggest games.
This isn’t something he always imagined.
“I remember the 2015 World Cup, I was talking to my friends saying, ‘Jeez, we will be in college for the next World Cup,’” says McCarthy.
“And to think that I would be in the next one is still quite amazing. I would never have thought I would be able to represent Ireland at a World Cup. It’s seriously cool.”
McCarthy, who is in his final year of studying Global Business at Trinity, loves working with O’Connell.
“I don’t think there is anyone better, to be honest,” says McCarthy. ‘He’s unbelievable to work with.
“You just hope a bit of him rubs off on you, how diligent he was in all his prep, he might scout you and pick you up on the smallest thing and train you every single lineout lift, every jump, every breakdown. You have to be 100% on it or he’ll pull you up on it.
“He’s unbelievable to work it, he really understands the players, and you just know you are learning from the best.”
McCarthy’s family will be over in Bordeaux on Saturday if he’s involved. They don’t miss any of his games.
Joe and Paddy playing for Ireland together looks distinctly possible in the future, given how impressive 20-year-old Paddy was for the U20s as they reached the World Championship final over the summer.
“We’ve never played together, he’s two years younger than me,” says Joe.
“We’ve definitely talked about that, it would be class if we get an opportunity to do that.”
- This article was updated at 10.43am to correct a typo in the 24th paragraph.
United are absolutely muck!!!
I agree, Daithi, and I’m a ManU fan. All that’s been holding them together was Ferguson. It’ll take a while to pick themselves up. Hope Van Gaal is given enough time!
Yeah, I think it’s a while off till they get themselves together!! Rooney was savagely bad!! Mata was poor. Evans, young, all were garbage!!
That’ll be two points dropped for Burnley come the end of season relegation battle. Bad result. Should be beating the likes of muck like United!
Poor result for Burnley. Need to be beating their relegation rivals at home to have a chance of staying up!
Burnley started very well against Chelsea a couple of weeks ago but were well beaten eventually – could well be something similar today. Anything less will be disastrous for Utd.
Noticed that Burnley’s starting 11 is entirely British – something very rare nowadays
I wouldn’t have Evans in my local pub team.
What’s worse is we let Pique go because we thought he was the next big thing!
Although you never know a prolonged run in the first team may see him come good.
Ah now, with all the money he has he’d surely pay for a few rounds
Pique was always going to end up back at barca
Pique was always going to end up back at barca
There’s an echo in here.
And United fans with the usual ‘welcome to the biggest club in the world’ deluded
Good chance for united to pick up 3 points against the team backed for relegation…but I still worry about the back 3 (jones, Evans and blackett) I think this game is a perfect chance for jutciewicz (sorry, I can’t spell it) and ings to prove themselves against a fairly lacklustre defense
Relegation 6 pointer !!!
Utd done very well to get the draw that’s 2 points in the bag WOW!!!!
Could be the point that saves United from relegation come next May.
A dreadful performance by Utd – as bad as anything that they produced last season. 2 pts from 3 games against the giants of Swansea, Sunderland and Burnley. Hard to see them finish in the Top 6, could be much lower than last season if they don’t cop on soon.
It’s early days yet but they’d want to get their shit in gear sharpish!
It would be plain stupid to play Evans again – after his dire performance against MK Dons.
Time for him to move on….
Great squad player!
Poor mans john o Shea he is. O Shea could play in goal
Yoda are you?
I have a wee theory about to United’s poor start to the season so far, which I have yet to see written anywhere (I’m open to correction).
Players who have been at United for years appear to be lacking in confidence, particularly central midfielders and defenders.
I reckon that boasting about having so much to spend on new players was bad enough, but the worst idea was identifying areas we need to strengthen and then not having them strengthened by the start of the season!
Everybody knows we need a proper central defensive midfielder like Keane was. Hence all the hype about Vidal. Everybody also knows the likes of Evans and Jones are prone to being rubbish so we need to strengthen there too, hence the hype about Blind, Rojo, and Shaw. Our wingers have been singled out as blunt instruments, hence the long running saga over DiMaria.
Such speculation must have an impact on the egos of the existing players. Imagine playing in any of these positions over these past few weeks, knowing that the club are actively trying to find a better player in your position! Your confidence would be shot, especially when you’re (by association) being partly blamed for the worst season United have had in ages!! Most of us agree that there is a lot of dead wood still at United, but I’m sure they know who they are too.
I reckon these kinds of big transfers should ideally be completed before the season starts and leave the time between gameweek 1 and Deadline Day to strengthen the squad!
True Man Utd players would relish the competition.
Does Ronaldo ever accept that anybody is better than him?
In any professional job the bottom 10percent of performers should always be moved on!
True class always finds another level, and manages to raise their game.
Time to get rid of the passengers at United and keep the winners!
I agree. But shouldn’t they be moved on before the season starts? I suppose the World Cup has had a big impact on Uniteds ability to do that this year…
Most definitely, a period if transition should be just that!
Vidic should have never been allowed to go before a high class centre back was found.
Your talking about a club that still hasn’t replaced Keane or Scholes!
Spot on. And they hail Carrick as the Messiah when all he can do is pass backwards!!
He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy!
“They all”? Who? His kids,never heard anyone say that about carrick.
Mainly the English media in fairness. Christ lads, this is feckin desperate stuff.
Good result for united.
Sean Dyche has to go. Poor result for Burnley :):):)
Di Maria looking great so far. Utterly ridiculous decision by Real to offload him.
For 60 odd million, great business by Madrid. Good player in fairness but Madrid tend to make few mistakes when selling players. Remember the furore when they sold Ozil for 50 million. Probably worth 20 now
Pure muck how is Anderson still getting a game
Bring back Moyes.
Just not creating enough chances. A team like burnley shouldn’t be coping as easy as they are at the moment.
Come on. No offemcr but its burnley and we kept a clean sheet but when we cant find a goal with 4 world class attackers it has to be the tactics #352is532
Should’ve won that,more injuries too. So much for 6 easy games to start.
Did not see game, too early here in Canada for me…. No such thing as easy games I would guess these days. Watching Man City game though, when is a blatant penalty not a penalty for smaller clubs though? Right in front of Ref and assistant too…. Stoke robbed……
We had a peno claim too with a few to go,handball in the box,I’m not even sure what’s a ball to hand/hand ball is anymore.
3-1 Utd for me.
Burnley 3-1 Utd?
2 – 0 to Burnley.
ManU’s glory days will not recommence for some years.
It takes a while to completely rebuild a team.
The foundations of the last ones were home grown.
Buying random players on the market is a lot more difficult as – who knows if they’ll gel.
You forgot your “mid table team” gem.
So easy to cancel United out.
No leader(s) or class….
The most scary statistic from this morning is that diMaria cost more than every player that has ever played for Burnley in its 100+ year history added together. And by some margin.
Can’t believe West Ham signed Song from Barca…..he’d be perfect for Utd
If MU now have a lengthy injury list I feel a bit sorry for van Gaal, it’s been hard enough anyway. Now for red thumbs, come on the blues.
Looks like a Oreo for each player in the Sky Sports pic!