Picture: John Minehane
HIS footballing brothers have made their mark with Kerry in the championship and while he’s quite accomplished himself with an O’Neill’s ball his hand, it’s in another code that John McCarthy is excelling.
Picture: Mark Breen
Older brother Mike has four All-Ireland medals in his collection and his other brother, Kevin, is part of the Kingdom set-up involved in this year’s championship but John is currently very much in the frame for the top honours in the prestigious Irish Tarmac Championship following a tremendous result in the Donegal International Rally at the weekend.
From Lawlor’s Cross in Killarney, John was navigator for Declan Gallaher and they finished a very impressive second overall in the high-profile rally event up north.
In May, McCarthy and Gallagher were runners-up in the National category in the Kilcummin man’s home rally, the Cartell.ie International Rally of the Lakes in Killarney, and they repeated that feat on Gallagher’s home turf at the weekend.
They were to the fore throughout the three-day event with their Toyota Starlet powering through the tough 21 stages before Sunday’s grandstand finish.
25-year-old John, a dairy farmer, is also an accomplished footballer with Kilcummin but rallying, it would appear, is his first love.
A member of Killarney and District Motor Club, John learned his rally and navigational skills from his uncle, Eddie Murphy – another Killarney club member – and he is the latest young star to emerge in the town, joining the likes of Rob Duggan, Mikie Galvin and Noel O’Sullivan Jnr at the top end of the rallying game.
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