McCarthy stood unsuccessfully as a Labour Party candidate for the Cork South-West constituency at the 2002 and 2007 general elections. He was a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2002 to 2011 (re-elected in 2007).
McCarthy failed to win as a Labour Party candidate for the Cork South-West electoral district in the 2002 and 2007 general elections. He served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2002 to 2011 (re-elected in 2007).