James McCarthy: 'You've to be patient'

By Cian O'Connell

"It can be a lonely place at the start for the first months," James McCarthy responds when asked about retiring from senior inter-county action.

A totemic figure in the sky blue jersey during a glittering era for Dublin football, McCarthy is immersing himself in club activity with Ballymun Kickhams. Playing and coaching, McCarthy is contributing.

Still leaving the Dublin fold at the end of 2024 was difficult. "Once you're out, you're out, it is weird," he adds.

"You don't talk to guys that you spent so much time with for a long time. I still send the odd text to Mick Fitzsimons or touch base with some lads. The first period is a bit of a hollow period, there is a bit of a gap.

"Do I reflect back? Like everyone, you see the odd match on TG4 or Laochra Gael, some of the old games. If you watch them, they probably weren't as good as you thought they were, some of the games back then. You look at it here and there."

There is generally something to do with Ballymun. Helping the next generation matters deeply to McCarthy. "I'm still going hard with Ballymun seniors and I'd do anything to have another crack at the club championship to try to win a Dublin club championship," he says.

"We've been there or thereabouts in the last few years. We're trying to crawl back up to the top of that again. That is keeping me busy.

"You just move on. I've thrown myself back into Ballymun Kickhams, I'm still playing senior there, I've got involved with some underage teams, trying to help out, to get a few young fellas through the system. That's good.

"Family life at home is busy. We've a young lad at home and another child on the way so everything is very busy. You'd still miss it a bit, in fairness."

Did McCarthy find it easy to attend Dublin fixtures in 2025? "I went to a few games, I didn't go to any of the league games, that is shocking," he laughs.

"What did Roy Keane call them a prawn sandwich fan? I went to a couple of Championship games. It was strange going in.

"You'd nearly want to come out of the stands, with that itch to go in. I'm very much a supporter now, hoping the Dubs go well this year."

So, McCarthy has been an interested observer, watching new Dublin manager Ger Brennan and his backroom team operate. "You always hear about transition, but I don't like using the word," McCarthy remarks.

"I think Dublin should always be thinking they can win an All-Ireland, any year they play. There has been a whole tranche of players that've moved on. There is no doubt about that. So, it is time to try to get more players through.

"In fairness, to Ger and the lads, they've put plenty of guys in during the last two games. I'd say they'd have liked to drip feed them in a little bit more."

Patience is key according to McCarthy. "Ideally, from my own experience, you'd like to have 10, 11, 12 really strong players, and throw in two or three," McCarthy says.

"I think that is more fair and easier on guys to bed in. It is tough when you're throwing six or seven guys in. It is a big step going from your underage teams or club level to playing with the county.

"They've been fairly competitive in both games, although the Mayo game went away from them after the red card. I'm sure if guys saw myself when I started off, they wouldn't have thought I'd have turned into much of a player.

"These guys need time to find their feet, to grow into it, and to find out what is required to play at that level. You've to be patient with guys."

Perseverance counts for a lot in sport, too, and that is why McCarthy remains hopeful that Ballymun can return to the summit of Dublin football. "Absolutely," McCarthy responds. "We lost to Na Fianna in a quarter-final last year. We were 11 points up in the game.

"As you can imagine, there is a lot of regrets from that game. They got to the county final, lost to Boden narrowly. There isn't much between the teams in Dublin.

"Probably, Cuala and Ballyboden are a little bit ahead of the likes of ourselves, but we still think we can have a crack off any team. Even we lost to Cuala two years ago in a semi-final, a very tight game, and they went on to win the club All-Ireland."

Hope is a constant companion. "You always dream," the nine team All-Ireland SFC winner says.

"You've to dream and believe you can do it - still. That is what we're at with Ballymun at the moment. The league is starting in two weeks.

"The training is fun at the moment with the weather, but you know it will turn, the games will come around, the warm weather will start.

"I'd love to pick up another club championship. That would be the dream."

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