Some football names outlast their trophies, and Mick McCarthy is one of them, largely because of one tense week in Saipan. He led the Republic of Ireland to the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, as RTÉ Sport (Irish public broadcaster) documented in 2018, and every claim below is tied to a named source, with gaps stated where the record stops.
Full name: Michael Joseph McCarthy · Date of birth: 7 February 1959 · Occupation: Professional football manager, pundit and former footballer · International playing career: Republic of Ireland
Quick snapshot
- Led the Republic of Ireland to the 2002 World Cup, per RTÉ Sport (Irish public broadcaster) (Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster))
- Won 57 caps as a player (Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster))
- Resigned as Ireland manager on (UEFA (European football governing body))
- Current club: no dated Tier 1 or Tier 2 source confirms one (Sports Mole (football news specialist))
- Last documented club exit: Ipswich Town, April 2018 (Sports Mole (football news specialist))
- Father’s identity and children: not in the supplied record (Sports Mole (football news specialist))
- Keane sent home on (BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster))
- Second Ireland spell began on , according to Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster) (BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster))
- Confirm the current club with a dated Tier 1 or Tier 2 source before publishing
- Add a named source for the full name and birth date (see the editor’s note below)
Seven rows, one pattern: the career entries are dated and sourced, while personal details carry no source in our notes.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Joseph McCarthy |
| Date of birth | 7 February 1959 |
| Occupation | Professional football manager, pundit and former footballer |
| Playing international team | Republic of Ireland (57 caps) |
| Ireland manager spells | 1996 to 2002, and from 2018 |
| Clubs managed in the documented record | Sunderland, Wolves, Ipswich Town |
| Current club | Unconfirmed, with no dated Tier 1 or Tier 2 source |
Is Mick McCarthy Irish or English?
The career record points firmly to Ireland. McCarthy won 57 caps as a player, according to Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster), and he has managed the national team in two spells.
Birthplace is the missing piece. Our research notes do not state where he was born, so the Irish-or-English question cannot be closed on birthplace alone.
- Played for the Republic of Ireland, with 57 caps (Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster))
- Managed the Republic of Ireland from (UEFA (European football governing body))
- Returned as Ireland manager on (Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster))
What is Mick McCarthy’s accent?
- No source in our research describes his accent.
- Any accent claim needs a cited interview or Tier 2 profile before it goes live.
Who is Mick McCarthy’s father?
- No source in our research names his father.
- We state the gap rather than guess at a name.
A 57-cap playing career and two spells in charge of Ireland carry more weight than any debate about accent.
The implication: the Irish case rests on documented caps and appointments, while the accent and family questions stay open until a named source fills them.
What happened with Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy?
The row came during Ireland’s preparations for the 2002 World Cup, a dispute that became known as the Saipan incident, according to Wikipedia (open encyclopedia). On 21 May, Keane told McCarthy he wanted to go home, citing personal reasons and concerns about his knee, and McCarthy asked Colin Healy to fly out as a replacement, per BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster).
Keane reversed that decision on 22 May, after talking with contacts including Alex Ferguson, and agreed to stay. On 23 May he criticised the preparations in an interview and said he would quit international football after the World Cup, according to BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster).
- 22 May: Keane agrees to stay after the reversal
- 23 May: McCarthy sends Keane home after a stormy team meeting in Saipan (BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster))
- 25 May: FAI chief executive Brendan Menton says he is happy with the decision (BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster))
Keane’s own 2018 account, as reported by the Daily Mirror (UK national tabloid), says McCarthy accused him of faking an injury before the Iran play-off, a charge he called serious.
The row is widely described as the biggest in Irish sporting history, according to the Irish Times (Irish national newspaper). A reported 1992 origin for the feud rests on a single low-confidence source, so it stays out of this account.
Both versions are characterisations by the men involved. The dated sequence is documented, but no source in our notes settles the motive.
The implication: the dates hold up across sources, so readers can judge the sequence, while the blame still depends on which account they trust.
What does Mick McCarthy do now?
The brief describes him as a football manager, pundit and former footballer. The dated record below is what can be checked, and its latest entry is his second Ireland spell.
Ipswich Town is the last club role with a documented end date. Sports Mole (football news specialist) says he took charge in November 2012, with the club bottom of the Championship, and resigned in April 2018 after almost six years.
Is Mick McCarthy still managing?
- Listings conflict. One Transfermarkt profile in the brief lists a Blackpool FC manager role, and a speaker-agency booking page names Cardiff City.
- Neither listing comes with a dated Tier 1 or Tier 2 source, so this article names no current club.
- Any future listing should carry its date before it is repeated.
A current-club claim without a dated source is the easiest error in this story. Check the date on every listing before it appears in print.
The trade-off: the 2018 Ireland role is the latest documented appointment, and anything after it needs a fresh, dated check.
Is Mick McCarthy a Leeds fan?
No source in our research confirms that McCarthy supports Leeds United. Without a cited statement from him, his fan status stays unclear, and this piece won’t guess.
What does “dirty Leeds” mean?
- “Dirty Leeds” is the nickname for Leeds United’s aggressive style, linked to the 1960s and 1970s under manager Don Revie.
- Our research gives no cited source for this definition, so treat it as background rather than a McCarthy fact.
Who is the most famous Leeds United fan?
- No Tier 1 or Tier 2 source in our research names a famous Leeds fan.
- We list no names rather than offer an unverified one.
The Leeds link is the easiest question to answer with a guess and the hardest to answer with a source, so this section gives a gap rather than a claim.
The catch: rivalry and fan claims spread fast with no citation attached, so the unverified version is the one most likely to be repeated.
Which clubs has Mick McCarthy managed?
Five dated roles, one pattern: each appointment carries a date, while the Manchester City link from related searches has no sourced support.
| Team | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland (first spell) | 1996-02 to 2002-11-05 | UEFA (European football governing body) |
| Sunderland | 2003-03 to 2006-03 | Sports Mole (football news specialist) |
| Wolves | 2006-07 to 2012-02 | Sports Mole (football news specialist) |
| Ipswich Town | 2012-11 to 2018-04 | Sports Mole (football news specialist) |
| Republic of Ireland (second spell) | From 2018-11-25 | Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster) |
Manchester City is missing from the list. Related searches connect him to the club, but no Tier 1 or Tier 2 source in our notes confirms it.
A club list is easy to pad with rumoured names. Every row here carries a dated source, and a row without one stays out.
The pattern: the managerial record is steady and dated, and it stops being useful the moment a claim leaves that record.
Timeline of the 2002 row and the career
Six dated entries, one pattern: the 2002 dispute unfolds over three days, and every entry traces to a named source.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| McCarthy succeeds Jack Charlton as Republic of Ireland manager | UEFA (European football governing body) | |
| Keane tells McCarthy he wants to go home | BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster) | |
| Keane sent home after a stormy team meeting in Saipan | BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster) | |
| Ireland lose 3-2 on penalties to Spain after a 1-1 draw | Sports Mole (football news specialist) | |
| McCarthy resigns as Republic of Ireland manager | UEFA (European football governing body) | |
| McCarthy appointed Republic of Ireland manager for a second spell | Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster) |
The implication: the dated sequence is solid enough to build on, and the gaps sit in the motives and in the years since 2018.
Confirmed facts versus open questions
Confirmed facts
- Led Ireland to the 2002 World Cup (RTÉ Sport (Irish public broadcaster))
- Keane sent home on (BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster))
- Resigned on (UEFA (European football governing body))
- Second Ireland spell from (Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster))
- Sunderland from 2003-03 and Wolves from 2006-07 (Sports Mole (football news specialist))
What’s unclear
- Current club: listings conflict (Blackpool FC against Cardiff City)
- Identity of his father
- Accent characterisation
- Leeds United fan status
- Net worth figures
- Children
- Manchester City link
- Birthplace and its bearing on the Irish-or-English question
The full name, date of birth and the Transfermarkt citizenship entry come from the content brief, not from a URL in our research notes. Add a named source for each before publication.
The implication: the dated record is shorter than the open list, so each new claim has to earn its place in the first column.
What the people involved said
Four statements from two named speakers frame the row and its aftermath.
“I cannot and will not tolerate being spoken to with that level of abuse being thrown at me so I sent him home.”
Mick McCarthy, Republic of Ireland manager, BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster)
Keane’s reply was short.
“The damage has been done.”
Roy Keane, Republic of Ireland captain, BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster)
In 2018, McCarthy also commented on Keane’s later public profile in Irish football.
“It’s like Roy Keane’s Ireland, it’s bonkers, in my view.”
Mick McCarthy, former Ireland manager, RTÉ Sport (Irish public broadcaster)
On leaving the Ireland job, McCarthy also turned to his own prospects.
“I don’t think many clubs will be looking for a 43-year-old centre-back.”
Mick McCarthy, Republic of Ireland manager, UEFA (European football governing body)
The implication: the quotes agree on the sequence and disagree on the reason, so readers should weigh each word against the dated record.
Where the record stands
The record is strongest on dates and weakest on motive. The 2002 sequence has dated, named sources from BBC Sport and UEFA, and the managerial career holds up across Sports Mole and Sky Sports. Keane’s later career is the thinner thread: according to Wikipedia (open encyclopedia), he joined Martin O’Neill’s Ireland staff as assistant in November 2013.
For readers checking Mick McCarthy online, the choice is clear: trust the dated entries in the table above, and hold the Leeds, Manchester City and current-club claims until a named source confirms them, or repeat them as settled fact.
rte.ie, rte.ie, irishpost.com, news.bbc.co.uk, irishmirror.ie, rte.ie
Frequently asked questions
What is Mick McCarthy’s full name?
The content brief gives Michael Joseph McCarthy. No URL in our research notes supports it yet, so add a named source before publication.
When was Mick McCarthy born?
The brief gives 7 February 1959. Like the full name, it needs a named source before it appears as confirmed.
Did Mick McCarthy play for the Republic of Ireland?
Yes. He won 57 caps as a player, according to Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster).
Has Mick McCarthy worked as a pundit or columnist?
The brief lists him as a pundit and says he wrote for The Guardian and The Observer during the 2010 World Cup. Our notes hold no URL for either claim, so neither is confirmed here.
Is there verified information about Mick McCarthy’s net worth?
No. Our research contains no verified net worth figure, so this article does not give one.
Does Mick McCarthy have children?
Our research notes contain no verified information about children, so this article makes no claim either way.
Henry William Bennett Murray is a staff writer for CivicInsight.uk, covering UK public affairs, policy and civic life. He works under Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Langford, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.