James McCarthy (born 1 March 1990) is a Gaelic footballer who plays for the Ballymun Kickhams club and, formerly, for the Dublin county team. He is widely regarded as one of Dublin's greatest ever players.
He was a student at Sacred Heart BNS Ballygall and St Kevin's College in Ballygall.
His father John was also a Dublin senior inter-county player, who won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) on three occasions.
McCarthy attended DCU where he was a defender for the Gaelic football team. In 2012, he won the Sigerson Cup and the O'Byrne Cup with the college.
McCarthy won two Dublin SFC titles with Ballymun, in 2012 and 2020. He added a Leinster Club SFC title in 2012. Ballymun then defeated Dr Crokes in the All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final before losing the 2013 All-Ireland Club SFC final to St Brigid's GAA (Roscommon).
McCarthy won the 2010 Leinster Under-21 Football Championship and All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship with Dublin.
He made his championship debut for Dublin against Laois in the 2011 Leinster SFC quarter-final, winning his first Leinster SFC title against Wexford at Croke Park in July that year. Dublin progressed to the 2011 All-Ireland SFC final against Kerry, and McCarthy won his first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. The game finished on a scoreline of 1âÂÂ12 to 1âÂÂ11, in Dublin's favour. McCarthy was nominated for GAA GPA Young Player of the Year for his performances.
On 4 November 2024, McCarthy announced his retirement from inter-county football, ending his 14-year senior career. In a released statement he said: "I have decided to retire from representing Dublin GAA at inter-county level, this decision hasn't been an easy one to make but I feel it's the right time."
As of 2020, McCarthy was employed by AIB and lived within two kilometres of Poppintree Park, Albert College Park and Johnstown Park.