Mac Curtain was barely out of the minor ranks when he joined the Blackrock senior team in 1975. That year he lined out in his first county final as 'the Rockies' faced Glen Rovers. He collected a county senior championship winners' medal on that occasion following a remarkable 4-11 to 0-10 victory. Blackrock later represented Cork in the Munster series of games and reached the final. Waterford's Mount Sion provided the opposition; however, Blackrock recorded a huge 8-12 to 3-8 win. It was Mac Curtain's first provincial club winners' medal. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted Blackrock against James Stephens. Five points down at half-time, the Kilkenny club came storming back and defeated Mac Curatin's side by 2-10 to 2-4.