Copyright the42
League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Ireland loosehead prop Paddy McCarthy.Dan Sheridan/INPHO 'It was my parents and my brother. It was really special' Paddy McCarthy’s family came into Irish camp last week, although Joe joined on FaceTime. 7.01am, 4 Nov 2025 Share options PADDY MCCARTHY WAS chatting about his Ireland debut against the All Blacks in Chicago on Saturday evening when James Lowe came over and interjected. “He’s very, very good,” said Lowe. “He’s a very, very good rugby player. Remember that.” The Ireland wing continued on his way to the Irish changing room, having given McCarthy his latest ringing endorsement. His older brother, Joe, received similarly glowing reports from within camp when he first joined the Ireland set-up. 22-year-old Paddy was sidelined for most of last season but he is making up for lost time in the current campaign, getting his first three senior starts for Leinster in the URC before being catapulted into Test rugby with Ireland. His Leinster team-mate, Jack Boyle, made good progress last season as he earned his first four caps, but Andy Farrell went for McCarthy as the back-up loosehead to Andrew Porter last weekend against New Zealand. “Faz just said to be myself,” said McCarthy of making his debut. “It was a pretty simple message – make my tackles, do my bits well around scrum, and stuff like that. I tried to deliver on that. Maybe we were unlucky with a few scrum calls or whatever. But no, I was just delighted to make my debut.” McCarthy only had a few tackles to make in his 13 minutes on the pitch at Soldier Field, but said he could notice the step up during that cameo. Advertisement McCarthy with his first cap in Chicago.Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO “The contacts definitely were bigger,” said the loosehead prop. “If you went into a breakdown, there’s All Black bodies just flying in and into you. Definitely a step up in physicality. You could feel it in the lungs as well.” Thursday night was an emotional one for the McCarthy family as Paddy’s parents, Joe and Paula, and his older brother, Andrew, visited Ireland camp for his jersey presentation. His brother, Joe, was supposed to be the one handing over Paddy’s jersey, but a delayed flight to Chicago scuppered that part of the plan. “It was my parents and my brother, Andrew,” said McCarthy. “They were so happy for me and I was delighted as well. They played a video of some of my clips from different games and things like that, and old memories. It was really nice. My good friend Gus McCarthy from school presented me with the jersey. “Gus said a few words. It was meant to be with Joe but he couldn’t make it. So they put Joe on FaceTime. It was kind of funny. Obviously, he didn’t make it. “He was in the airport in Chicago. He was an hour away. It was nice, he got to see the presentation on FaceTime. It was really special.” Joe reassured Paddy throughout the week anyway, telling him he’d do well and to just be himself. McCarthy is hoping for more caps in the coming weeks.Gary Carr / INPHO Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO Joe is currently sidelined, so the McCarthy brothers will have to wait before playing for Ireland together. “He’s hoping to get back as soon as possible,” said Paddy. “I think he’s back running now. “He’s going well, his rehab is going to plan. He picked up another injury after the Lions. He thought he was going to be back, but then he had another thing. He’s coming back from that now.” With a debut off the bench behind him, McCarthy is now hoping to get his first start for Ireland sooner rather than later. He is definitely hoping to feature against Japan this weekend as Ireland play the first of their three home autumn games. “Yes, I’d love to be involved in that,” he said. “That would be another challenge. “That’s what we said in the changing room – we’ve got to not feel sorry for ourselves and just kick on for the next few games.” Murray Kinsella Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'It was my parents and my brother. It was really special'”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “'It was my parents and my brother. It was really special'”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion New Zealand Paddy McCarthy FreeInterview 'You get on with it. You can't dwell on it. I never thought I would come back in again' 56 mins ago Who to watch - and where to watch - as Ireland's trailblazers look to make history at U17 World Cup FreeBallygunner Dessie Hutchinson: 'You want to get another go at them because we were hurt after last year' FreePremier League Granit Xhaka equaliser earns Sunderland point against Everton FreePhibsborough Council approves funding plans for Dalymount redevelopment - and construction could begin next year FreeNot interested Gary O’Neil reportedly pulls out of Wolves contention after talks over return FreeFixtures Galway to host Kilkenny in 2026 Leinster SHC opening round DJ Carey sentenced to over five years after faking cancer to con money out of people Springboks assistant coach Jones backs Ntlabakanye call-up despite doping probe On The Dotted Line Mayo’s Kobe McDonald and Kerry’s Ben Murphy sign deals with AFL clubs 'Zero excuses from here' - Farrell's Ireland must bounce back more from us Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account
