McCarthy, Billy
October 28, 2010Billy McCarthy was born in Boston on May 28th, 1939 to Charles and Nora McCarthy (nee Foley, Glencar). The family came back to Ireland in 1947 and lived in Waterville for a year and then moved to Kenmare in 1948.
Billy went to school in Kenmare National School and then with his brothers Charley and Denis to Kenmare Secondary school.
He sat and passed his Leaving Certificate in 1956 and in the same year he played full forward on both the Kerry minor hurling and football teams. He was young enough to play minor in 1957 but he decided to travel to the USA in search of employment.
He worked in Boston and played football with the Erin's Hope team which was backboned by the Walsh brothers whose father - a Wexford man - was president of the GAA in Boston and whose mother was Lily Gill, a Kenmare native.
In 1963 he returned to Ireland and enrolled to UCC in an arts course. College was not for him and he departed for England where he lived and worked until 2006 when he returned to live in Kenmare with his brother Denis and his sister-in-law Margaret and family.
He enjoyed reasonably good health for the next three and a half years. He would get the Mirror newspaper, walk into town and sit on the windowsill of Top Cross and chat with his sister Eileen, nephew Jerry and whoever might pass. Home for dinner at 4 o clock and he would read his book (2-3 per week) and as he had Sky TV he would watch all the soccer matches that would be available.
He was a very avid follower of Gaelic games and regular listener to Radio Kerry and especially Weeshie.
He loved his weekly dose of Kerry's Eye because it had - among many things - photographs of olden times. His sister-in-law Margaret took great care of him as did his sister Eileen and his nieces and nephews.
he spent many long hours talking GAA with his great friend Pete Hanley and also Tom Connor and Paul 'Paddy'.
The last five months of his life were spent in Kenmare District Hospital where he received the ultimate in care and kindness from Dr Rose Crushell, matrons Mary and Margaret and all the wonderful staff of the hospital.
Some of the closest friends from England came to his wake, Michael Brennan from Castlecomer and Pat and Mrs Ross of Causeway. That, plus the large turnout he had at his wake and funeral, would have made him well pleased.
Courtesy of Kerry's Eye 28/10/10 Tweet
