CROSSGAR came to a standstill yesterday for the funeral of Noel McCarthy, a sporting great who enjoyed legendary status at Glentoran.
Noel, who was 88 and a Downpatrick native, made 415 appearances for the Glens during his ten seasons at the Oval, from 1947-1958.
He was captain for seven of those seasons and in 1950-51 led the Glens to the ‘grand slam’ of Irish League championship, Irish Cup, City Cup and Ulster Cup. In that season he played in 49 out of the 50 matches and scored eleven goals — a remarkable tally given that he was a defender.
Noel was a member of four Irish Cup final teams and won every available honour in the Northern Ireland domestic game. He represented the Irish League against England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Noel was the linchpin of the Glentoran defence and played mostly at left back, though he once donned the goalkeeper’s jersey against Coleraine. During his career he scored 22 goals.
Noel always held Glentoran and the people of East Belfast very close to his heart.
He was particularly proud to be a member of the Glens side which played Linfield at the Oval in 1949, eight years after the ground had been almost destroyed by German air raids.
Closer to home, Noel had already attained hero status on the gaelic football field. Noel played for Downpatrick and later Loughinisland, but his finest moment was as a member of the Down side which won the county’s first All-Ireland title — a junior final success over Warwickshire at Croke Park in 1946.
Noel was a loving family man. He was devoted to his late wife, Brida, and was immensely proud of his children, Anne, Mary, Jimmy, Noel, Mel, Conleth, Bridghe, John and Michael.
He followed the fortunes of his sons with Kilmore Rec — all six once lined out in the same team in a home cup tie — and later his grandsons. One grandson, Andrew Waterworth, is a member of the current Glentoran team.
Away from sport, Noel became a successful businessman in Crossgar, establishing a thriving shop which became a focal point in the town and still bears the family name. He had many friends and liked nothing better than to have a walk and a chat.
Noel passed away on Sunday in Greenvale Nursing Home in Castlewellan.
The esteem in which he was held was evident by the number of people who attended yesterday’s funeral at the Church of the Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph in Crossgar. Interment was at Holy Family Cemetery, Teconnaught.