| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | J. Kevin McGarry | ||
| Date of birth | c. 1925 | ||
| Date of death | August 1995 (age 70) | ||
| Playing position | Inside forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1946-1948 | Belfast Celtic | ? | (5) |
| 1948-1959 | Cliftonville | ||
| 1959-1960 | Sligo Rovers | ? | (2) |
| 1960-1961 | Dundalk | 2 | (0) |
| 1961-1964 | Cliftonville | 3 | (0) |
| 1964-1965 | Limerick | 5 | (4) |
| National team | |||
| 1950-51 | Northern Ireland | 3 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Dr J. Kevin McGarry (c. 1925 – August 1995) was a Northern Ireland international footballer who played with Cliftonville from 1949. He played Gaelic football before being convinced to sign amateur forms with Belfast Celtic. He played a few first-team games for Celtic before signing with Cliftonville. At Solitude he was also a prolific goalscorer. He was named as the inaugural Ulster Footballer of the Year for the 1950/51 season.[1]
As a student at Queen's University, he was selected by Ireland for an amateur international against England in February 1948: a 5-0 defeat. He was then chosen for an Irish F.A. representative side which beat the United States 5-0, with McGarry scoring twice. In 1952, he was part of the Great Britain squad at the Helsinki Olympics.
He was selected for Ireland's 1950/51 Home Nations squad, making his full international debut against Scotland at Hampden Park, in which he scored in a 1-2 defeat. He earned two more caps, also playing in the match against Wales, and then in a friendly against France.
He represented the Irish League on numerous occaions, scoring a record twelve goals.