Quick Facts
Biography
Dr John 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.
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 2-1 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 occasions, scoring a record 12 goals.