James McCarthy Admits Strange Role Father’s Tough Love Played In Dublin Career

James McCarthy was a glaring absence in Dublin's underwhelming 2025 All-Ireland SFC campaign which ended in a limp defeat to Tyrone.

The nine-time All-Ireland winner called time on his legendary Dublin career in November of 2024 during an off-season which marked the end of an era for their panel.

There has been further change since, with Dessie Farrell making way for Ger Brennan in the dugout as the former Dublin player looks to bring through a new era of All-Ireland winners.

He would love to fill the void left by McCarthy and fellow midfielder Brian Fenton, the pair making for one of the greatest pairs in the game.

McCarthy, who won 14 Leinster senior titles to go with his nine Sam Maguire Cups in blue, reflected on his decorated career with legendary Irish boxer Bernard Dunne.

The Ballymun Kickhams man sat down for the Dunne Talking podcast, where he looked back on the moments that premeditated his great success at inter-county level.

McCarthy told one story, in which he recalled 'shaping' and 'posing' for the rest of a match after a stunning solo goal for Ballymun.

He avoided getting stuck in, opting to bask in the glory of that moment, something which led to a lesson in tough love from his father who had been on the sidelines.

"He pulled up the car and said 'happy with yourself today?'," McCarthy recalled.

"'Yeah good goal wasn't it?' (I replied).

"He said 'You were an embarrassment... you were a disgrace today. You actually embarrassed me and your brother. You weren't going for the ball, you weren't tackling. You were swanning around, thought you were great.'

McCarthy did not see eye-to-eye with his dad at the time, admitting they would not speak for a couple of months in the aftermath but would later realise that his father was right.

"I got real thick. Told him to F off. We didn't talk for a couple months after. But he was dead right. We had a little bit of that in the first few years but once he felt I was on the right path, probably about 21. He said 'I'll let him off and let him figure it out himself.'"

McCarthy certainly continued on the right path, hitting unprecented levels of success in a golden era for The Dubs.