IT WAS A kick that Scotstown manager David McCague had witnessed before.
While the rest of Monaghan prayed for Jack McCarron, McCague could already predict the outcome. He knew that his boy was dialled in and ready to meet the moment.
Monaghan’s survival in the Ulster championship relied on this kick. A two-pointer from the sideline to level the game after trailing Derry by 10 points at half-time. And the pressure even went up a few more notches as referee Noel Mooney initially called full-time to signal victory for Derry, only to promptly reverse his decision.
The stage belonged to McCarron and all the expectation that went with it. This was almost a comfort watch for McCague.
“I’ve seen Jack take that kick a lot of times over the years, maybe not under the same pressure, but his execution very rarely fails him,” McCague says, recalling that perfectly arced shot that paved the way for a famous Monaghan victory in extra-time.
The McCarron name is something of a Scotstown dynasty. It started with Jack’s grandfather who played for the club before the mass emigration of the time forced him to move to Luton in the 1950s. He missed Scotstown’s first senior county title in 1960, and their second the following year before his son Ray was born in 1963.
The McCarrons returned home in 1979 at a time when Scotstown was becoming a dominant force. After that breakthrough in the early 60s, they went on to win 12 county titles between 1974 and 1993. Ray spent much of his time playing soccer while growing up in England but quickly became a highly rated forward for the Monaghan footballers.
He made his senior debut in the 1983 McKenna Cup semi-final against Donegal, and retired in 1996 with a National League medal, two Ulster titles and an All-Star from 1986.
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However, Jack grew up playing for Currin, a small junior outfit in north Monaghan just outside Clones. McCague was always aware of McCarron’s ambition to represent the home club of his father and grandfather. He has memories of a young Jack paying regular visits to Scotstown alongside his father. The first flashes of his ability were obvious even then.
And when McCague became manager of Scotstown in 2023, Jack made the switch.
“Ray would be very proud of his contribution to Scotstown,” McCague adds. “He was one of our first All-Stars. And it was always an ambition for the family to see Jack playing for Scotstown.
“We were fortunate that the rule existed in Monaghan that permitted the transfer. And it’s actually not uncommon in Monaghan that players would play for their father’s club. I actually have a nephew living in another club and he’s registered with Scotstown.”
The rule McCague refers to is Monaghan’s by-law 8.5 (b) which permits players to switch clubs where there is a “strong family connection”.
McCarron in action for Scotstown in the 2023 Ulster quarter-final against Kilcoo. Andrew Paton / INPHO
Andrew Paton / INPHO / INPHO
But McCarron’s intention was not well received in Currin and the feeling was that they could not concede to losing him. And so, an attempt was made to appeal against the transfer. John Connolly, who was the club’s chairman at the time, gave an interview to the Irish Independent during that period where he revealed that the club had just 23 adult players at their disposal.
“There is devastation at potentially losing Jack who has been a wonderful player for us for 22 years,” he added. “And that devastation is not just in the club, it’s in the community.”
Scotstown were already regarded as one of Monaghan’s strongest clubs at that time and since McCarron’s arrival, they have won three senior championships in-a-row. His six points helped power Scotstown to a 0-17 to 0-14 win over Inniskeen in his first county final appearance for the team, and those scoring stats have swelled throughout subsequent adventures in Ulster.
They reached the 2023 Ulster final with McCarron racking up a total of 0-7 in the provincial competition as they bowed out to Glen of Derry. His goal in the 2024 county final against Clontibret O’Neill’s was vital as Scotstown retained their crown before losing out to Down’s Kilcoo in the Ulster semi-final.
And after posting 0-4 to help complete a Monaghan three-in-a-row after extra-time against Inniskeen last year, McCarron then played a key role in pushing Scotstown to the summit of Ulster for the first time since 1989.
When their semi-final battle with Derry outfit Newbridge went to a penalty shootout, McCarron nervelessly slotted his kick to help seal the win and progress to the final where they edged out Kilcoo after extra-time. The long wait for a fifth provincial title was finally over.
Ray McCarron playing in the 1988 Ulster final. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
McCague probably thought of that score when he watched McCarron nail that sideline free against Derry this year. That clutch coolness was such a familiar sight to him. And when he thinks back to Jack’s first county final in 2023, he remembers the demonstration of resilience in response to the discontent over his transfer.
“That was very difficult for him at the time,” says McCague. McCarron received the man-of-the-match award in that county final, a feat which his father also achieved during his time with Scotstown.
“As a point of validation for his transfer, his grandmother passed away a number of months ago. And just to see the pictures in the family home of Jack and his cousin Max [Maguire] and his father.
“The links around the family home through the club was validation for Jack in terms of the conflict that he had in his own mind around moving clubs. And I suppose his awareness of leaving Currin, who he played with as a juvenile and as a senior footballer as well.”
****
McCarron has inherited royal blood from both sides of the family. His mother, Patricia, is a sister of Hugo Clerkin, a former teammate of Ray’s, who was a star of Monaghan football during the 70s and 80s.
His son is Dick Clerkin, another celebrated son of the Farney county who enjoyed a distinguised career at midfield. He made his debut for Monaghan in 1999 and retired in 2016 with two Ulster titles and a remarkable 179 inter-county appearances.
There’s also the aforementioned Max Maguire who was part of the Monaghan U20 team who contested the Ulster final this year, scoring six points as they lost out to Tyrone.
Ellen McCarron during the 2011 All-Ireland final between Monaghan and Cork. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Closer to home, Jack’s older sister Ellen also represented Monaghan with distinction, and played during an era when the county shared an absorbing rivalry with Cork.
The sides met in the 2008, 2011 and 2013 All-Ireland finals with McCarron featuring in all three. She was sprung from the bench as an 18-year-old in ’08 and started in ’11 and ’13 as Monaghan lost out by just two points, and one point respectively after thrilling encounters.
“Around Scotstown,” McCague says, “Ray McCarron was a hero. So, it was really impossible for Jack and Ellen to escape that. And Ellen’s skill level as well, as a player, was something to behold. Ray’s DNA was in them; they didn’t lick it off the grass.”
****
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Since breaking into the Monaghan squad in 2012, much of McCarron’s career has been interrupted by injury. He suffered the dreaded cruciate rupture in 2014, which ruled him out of Monaghan’s Ulster success the following year.
Further setbacks followed in the form of multiple hamstring tears, and ankle ligament damage. McCarron was then felled by another knee injury in 2020, and while he featured in their 2021 Ulster final appearance, it ended in a one-point defeat against Tyrone.
Jack McCarron gives Monaghan hope with this brilliant point
Manager Gabriel Bannigan appears to be favouring the impact sub role for McCarron in this year’s championship. That was clearly an inspired move in their semi-final win over Derry, and despite their extra-time loss to Armagh in the final, McCarron proved to be an effective reinforcement.
When he was deployed on 45 minutes, Monaghan trailed by 1-16 to 0-12. 12 minutes later, McCarron landed a two-pointer to reduce the gap to three, and another point from their next attack to leave just two between them. His influence is still vital for Monaghan.
It’s likely that he will be detailed for that job again today for the start of their All-Ireland championship against Mayo. McCague, however, would still maintain that McCarron is one of Monaghan’s best forwards.
He has seen all of the many skills in that locker. What amazes the crowd is no shock to him.
“From my perspective, he would warrant a place on any team. In the old rules, he was finding himself doing a lot of chasing with cornerbacks deciding to run up the pitch. But the new rules lend themselves to playing to his strengths more. Jack has the ability to pull out magnificent individual scores
“He’s a fantastic influence on younger players. He’s obviously a real role model for them, but he’s a real support to them as well. Monaghan are very lucky to have him.”
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'He enjoys the clutch moments': the evergreen forward from Monaghan royalty
IT WAS A kick that Scotstown manager David McCague had witnessed before.
While the rest of Monaghan prayed for Jack McCarron, McCague could already predict the outcome. He knew that his boy was dialled in and ready to meet the moment.
Monaghan’s survival in the Ulster championship relied on this kick. A two-pointer from the sideline to level the game after trailing Derry by 10 points at half-time. And the pressure even went up a few more notches as referee Noel Mooney initially called full-time to signal victory for Derry, only to promptly reverse his decision.
The stage belonged to McCarron and all the expectation that went with it. This was almost a comfort watch for McCague.
“I’ve seen Jack take that kick a lot of times over the years, maybe not under the same pressure, but his execution very rarely fails him,” McCague says, recalling that perfectly arced shot that paved the way for a famous Monaghan victory in extra-time.
“He enjoys the clutch moments.”
****
The McCarron name is something of a Scotstown dynasty. It started with Jack’s grandfather who played for the club before the mass emigration of the time forced him to move to Luton in the 1950s. He missed Scotstown’s first senior county title in 1960, and their second the following year before his son Ray was born in 1963.
The McCarrons returned home in 1979 at a time when Scotstown was becoming a dominant force. After that breakthrough in the early 60s, they went on to win 12 county titles between 1974 and 1993. Ray spent much of his time playing soccer while growing up in England but quickly became a highly rated forward for the Monaghan footballers.
He made his senior debut in the 1983 McKenna Cup semi-final against Donegal, and retired in 1996 with a National League medal, two Ulster titles and an All-Star from 1986.
However, Jack grew up playing for Currin, a small junior outfit in north Monaghan just outside Clones. McCague was always aware of McCarron’s ambition to represent the home club of his father and grandfather. He has memories of a young Jack paying regular visits to Scotstown alongside his father. The first flashes of his ability were obvious even then.
And when McCague became manager of Scotstown in 2023, Jack made the switch.
“Ray would be very proud of his contribution to Scotstown,” McCague adds. “He was one of our first All-Stars. And it was always an ambition for the family to see Jack playing for Scotstown.
“We were fortunate that the rule existed in Monaghan that permitted the transfer. And it’s actually not uncommon in Monaghan that players would play for their father’s club. I actually have a nephew living in another club and he’s registered with Scotstown.”
The rule McCague refers to is Monaghan’s by-law 8.5 (b) which permits players to switch clubs where there is a “strong family connection”.
But McCarron’s intention was not well received in Currin and the feeling was that they could not concede to losing him. And so, an attempt was made to appeal against the transfer. John Connolly, who was the club’s chairman at the time, gave an interview to the Irish Independent during that period where he revealed that the club had just 23 adult players at their disposal.
“There is devastation at potentially losing Jack who has been a wonderful player for us for 22 years,” he added. “And that devastation is not just in the club, it’s in the community.”
Scotstown were already regarded as one of Monaghan’s strongest clubs at that time and since McCarron’s arrival, they have won three senior championships in-a-row. His six points helped power Scotstown to a 0-17 to 0-14 win over Inniskeen in his first county final appearance for the team, and those scoring stats have swelled throughout subsequent adventures in Ulster.
They reached the 2023 Ulster final with McCarron racking up a total of 0-7 in the provincial competition as they bowed out to Glen of Derry. His goal in the 2024 county final against Clontibret O’Neill’s was vital as Scotstown retained their crown before losing out to Down’s Kilcoo in the Ulster semi-final.
And after posting 0-4 to help complete a Monaghan three-in-a-row after extra-time against Inniskeen last year, McCarron then played a key role in pushing Scotstown to the summit of Ulster for the first time since 1989.
When their semi-final battle with Derry outfit Newbridge went to a penalty shootout, McCarron nervelessly slotted his kick to help seal the win and progress to the final where they edged out Kilcoo after extra-time. The long wait for a fifth provincial title was finally over.
McCague probably thought of that score when he watched McCarron nail that sideline free against Derry this year. That clutch coolness was such a familiar sight to him. And when he thinks back to Jack’s first county final in 2023, he remembers the demonstration of resilience in response to the discontent over his transfer.
“That was very difficult for him at the time,” says McCague. McCarron received the man-of-the-match award in that county final, a feat which his father also achieved during his time with Scotstown.
“As a point of validation for his transfer, his grandmother passed away a number of months ago. And just to see the pictures in the family home of Jack and his cousin Max [Maguire] and his father.
“The links around the family home through the club was validation for Jack in terms of the conflict that he had in his own mind around moving clubs. And I suppose his awareness of leaving Currin, who he played with as a juvenile and as a senior footballer as well.”
****
McCarron has inherited royal blood from both sides of the family. His mother, Patricia, is a sister of Hugo Clerkin, a former teammate of Ray’s, who was a star of Monaghan football during the 70s and 80s.
His son is Dick Clerkin, another celebrated son of the Farney county who enjoyed a distinguised career at midfield. He made his debut for Monaghan in 1999 and retired in 2016 with two Ulster titles and a remarkable 179 inter-county appearances.
There’s also the aforementioned Max Maguire who was part of the Monaghan U20 team who contested the Ulster final this year, scoring six points as they lost out to Tyrone.
Closer to home, Jack’s older sister Ellen also represented Monaghan with distinction, and played during an era when the county shared an absorbing rivalry with Cork.
The sides met in the 2008, 2011 and 2013 All-Ireland finals with McCarron featuring in all three. She was sprung from the bench as an 18-year-old in ’08 and started in ’11 and ’13 as Monaghan lost out by just two points, and one point respectively after thrilling encounters.
“Around Scotstown,” McCague says, “Ray McCarron was a hero. So, it was really impossible for Jack and Ellen to escape that. And Ellen’s skill level as well, as a player, was something to behold. Ray’s DNA was in them; they didn’t lick it off the grass.”
****
Since breaking into the Monaghan squad in 2012, much of McCarron’s career has been interrupted by injury. He suffered the dreaded cruciate rupture in 2014, which ruled him out of Monaghan’s Ulster success the following year.
Further setbacks followed in the form of multiple hamstring tears, and ankle ligament damage. McCarron was then felled by another knee injury in 2020, and while he featured in their 2021 Ulster final appearance, it ended in a one-point defeat against Tyrone.
Manager Gabriel Bannigan appears to be favouring the impact sub role for McCarron in this year’s championship. That was clearly an inspired move in their semi-final win over Derry, and despite their extra-time loss to Armagh in the final, McCarron proved to be an effective reinforcement.
When he was deployed on 45 minutes, Monaghan trailed by 1-16 to 0-12. 12 minutes later, McCarron landed a two-pointer to reduce the gap to three, and another point from their next attack to leave just two between them. His influence is still vital for Monaghan.
It’s likely that he will be detailed for that job again today for the start of their All-Ireland championship against Mayo. McCague, however, would still maintain that McCarron is one of Monaghan’s best forwards.
He has seen all of the many skills in that locker. What amazes the crowd is no shock to him.
“From my perspective, he would warrant a place on any team. In the old rules, he was finding himself doing a lot of chasing with cornerbacks deciding to run up the pitch. But the new rules lend themselves to playing to his strengths more. Jack has the ability to pull out magnificent individual scores
“He’s a fantastic influence on younger players. He’s obviously a real role model for them, but he’s a real support to them as well. Monaghan are very lucky to have him.”
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