Former Irish footballer and cricketer Noel Cantwell to be honoured in native Cork

Former Irish soccer and cricket international Noel Cantwell is to be honoured in his native Cork later this year when a road near where he grew up is to be named after him. Cork City Council unanimously agreed to a motion by Independent councillor Mick Finn to honour Cantwell by naming a pedestrian roadway in the Mardyke after him.

“I was approached by some people involved in Cork soccer who wanted to do something to honour Noel Cantwell because nothing had been done here in Cork,” Mr Finn said. “Noel Cantwell was a huge figure in Irish soccer. he played with Cork Athletic before he transferred to West Ham and helped them win promotion to Division 1 in 1958.

"Then he transferred to Man United and he captained United when they won the FA Cup in 1963 and helped them win the league in 1965 and 1967, so he was a huge figure for them. Certainly, he paved the way for stars like Roy Keane; like Roy, he was a bit of late developer playing here in Cork but he scaled huge heights when he went cross-channel."

Mr Finn said he was delighted city councillors backed his proposal to name a pedestrianised roadway in the Mardyke near his home. “I think it’s great that Cork is recognising him in this way because not only did he play soccer for Ireland, he also played cricket for Ireland, which is quite an achievement.”

Cantwell played for the Republic from 1953 to 1967, winning 36 caps and scoring 14 goals.

Cantwell, who later managed Coventry City and Peterborough, also spent five years in the US managing teams there before returning to Peterborough, where he died in 2005.