Brave, golden-hearted polar explorer:TIMOTHY McCARTHY (1887–1917), sailor and polar explorer, was born on July 15th, 1887, in Kinsale, Co Cork, a younger son of John McCarthy, farmer and fisherman of Lower Cove, Kinsale, and Mary McCarthy (nee Ford) who was originally from Garrylucas, near the Old Head of Kinsale. Many of the male members of his family were sailors, and he followed this family tradition, going to sea while still in his early teens. He sailed mostly on sailing ships and was also a member of the Royal Naval Reserve. In 1914 he volunteered for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, sailing aboard Endurance with fellow Irishman Tom Crean.
McCarthy quickly established a reputation as one of the most cheerful and reliable members of the Endurance crew, and his previous experience aboard sailing ships made him a favourite of the sailing master, Capt Frank Worsley, who later described him as one of nature’s gentlemen. After Endurance was crushed by ice in November 1915, he distinguished himself in the open-boat journey to Elephant Island.
It was not surprising that when Shackleton decided to sail to South Georgia in search of help McCarthy was chosen to be one of the boat’s party. Throughout this epic 17-day journey in the James Caird he maintained his usual composure and professionalism as the party sailed more than 1,450km through the treacherous seas of the South Atlantic. When the James Caird finally reached South Georgia, on May 10th, 1916, he remained behind with two incapacitated members of the crew, Harry McNeish and Jack Vincent, while Shackleton, Crean and Worsley went for help to the whaling station at Stromness. On being finally rescued, he was immediately evacuated back to England. Worsley later described him as a “big, brave, smiling, golden-hearted Merchant Service Jack”. McCarthy was awarded the British Polar Medal for his part in the Endurance expedition.
After a period of leave he was called up for active service with the Royal Naval Reserve, serving as an able seaman. On March 16th, 1917, he was serving as one of the gun crew aboard the tanker SS Narragansett when she was attacked by the German submarine U44 off the south coast of Ireland. McCarthy was one of the 46 fatal casualties. He never married.
David Murphy
From the Royal Irish Academy’s Dictionary of Irish Biography. See dib.ie for more details
