Christy Toye Explained

Christy Toye
Irish:Criostóir Ó Tuathaigh
Spouse:Roisin Gallagher (m. 2015)
Birth Date:10 March 1983
Birth Place:Letterkenny, Ireland
Height:1.880NaN0
Sport:Gaelic football
Code:Football
County:Donegal
Province:Ulster
Club:St Michael's
Clyears:2001–
Clposition:Midfield
Counties:Donegal
Icyears:2002–2016
Icposition:Right Half Forward
Icapps(Points):65 (Championship only)
Icprovince:3
Icallireland:1
Nfl:1
Allstars:0

Christy Toye (born 10 March 1983) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for St Michael's and also, formerly, for the Donegal county team.

He captained his county in 2005, Brian McIver's first season in charge; as well as in 2006, when Donegal contested the Ulster SFC final.

Along with his fellow club mate Colm McFadden, he would have been considered one of the mature elder statesman of the Donegal senior football panel, until his retirement from inter-county football in 2017.[1]

Among other accolades, he has one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title (2012), three Ulster Senior Football Championship titles (2011, 2012 and 2014) and one National Football League title (2007). He captained Donegal in the 2006 Ulster SFC final at Croke Park, appeared as a substitute for Leo McLoone against Mayo in the 2012 All-Ireland SFC final and was named to start against Kerry in the 2014 All-Ireland SFC final. He made a total of 65 championship appearances, a record shared with Donegal teammate Karl Lacey.[2] [3]

College

He captained a team to the Sigerson Cup.[4]

Inter-county

Toye's mother's name is Rosemary.[5]

Toye and Colm McFadden were in the same class at primary school; they played in (and won) the Ted Webb under-16 tournament, the same year they were part of the county minor team.[6]

He started the first game of Brian McEniff's last spell as Donegal manager, a league defeat to Galway in Tuam in February 2003.[7]

Toye burst onto the national scene with goals in the Championship against Meath in 2002 and Armagh in 2003, both at Croke Park. The goal against Armagh, in the 2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final, was the first goal conceded by the then reigning All-Ireland SFC champions in eight championship games going back to the previous year's semi-final, and gave Donegal a half-time lead; Toye accompanied it with a point but Donegal lost the game.[8] He played for Donegal against Armagh in the 2004 Ulster SFC final at Croke Park, but went off injured and was replaced by Rory Kavanagh.[9] He captained Donegal in the 2006 Ulster SFC final, against the same opponent, at the same venue.[10] He was a member of the Donegal team that won the National Football League title in 2007, playing from the start to the end in the final against Mayo.[11]

In 2009, while in the form of his life, Toye ruptured his Achilles tendon during an All-Ireland SFC qualifier against Clare at MacCumhaill Park. He was left as a spectator when Armagh knocked Donegal from the 2010 Championship in Crossmaglen. However, Toye returned the following season, rejuvenated by the arrival of Jim McGuinness as manager. He did not feature in the NFL or Ulster SFC campaign, but was sprung from the bench in the 2011 All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Kildare at Croke Park. Within 25 seconds of his first appearance in 25 months, he had the ball in the back of the Kildare net, later making a further vital contribution by scoring the final equalising point of a game which Donegal went on to narrowly win through a memorable point from Kevin Cassidy in extra-time. Toye had previously scored a goal for Donegal at Croke Park in the 2003 All-Ireland SFC semi-final.[12] Indeed, with four goals, Toye is Donegal's record goalscorer at Croke Park — one goal each against Meath (2002), Armagh (2003), Cork (2006), and Kildare (2011).[13] He also scored a goal in the 2015 All-Ireland SFC qualifier defeat of Galway at Croke Park, finishing into the corner of the net in injury-time.[14]

He came on as a second-half substitute for Leo McLoone in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final, a game which was won by Donegal.[15] He missed the entire 2013 season while battling trigeminal neuralgia but was back in 2014 in time for another shot at the All-Ireland.[16] [17] [18] On 20 September 2014, he was named to start against Kerry in the following day's All-Ireland SFC final.[19] [20] [21]

In January 2017, Toye retired from the inter-county game.[22]

Club

Toye's club have not had much success at senior level. They reached the final of the 2011 Donegal Senior Football Championship - their first ever senior final - but lost, though Toye scored three points.[23] [24]

Previously, in 2004, they reached the final of All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship, in which Toye scored a point.[25]

Other work

Toye has been active in encouraging people to read more books.[26]

Legacy

The "languid" style of Michael Langan has been compared favourably to that of Toye.[27]

Honours

Donegal
St Michael's

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Alan. Foley. Forward thinking McFadden. Donegal Democrat. 11 September 2012. 11 September 2012. 29 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150329214914/http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/sport/soccer/forward-thinking-mcfadden-1-4247035. dead.
  2. News: Kevin. O'Brien. Donegal's Karl Lacey announces his retirement from inter-county football: Lacey won one All-Ireland and four All-Stars during an exceptional 14-year career. The42.ie. 31 August 2017. 31 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171006042821/http://www.the42.ie/karl-lacey-donegal-retired-3575400-Aug2017/. 6 October 2017.
  3. News: Sinead. Farrell. Karl Lacey an 'excellent choice' for new Donegal backroom team: McEniff — The recently retired defender is reported to be joining the Donegal backroom team in the coming days. The42.ie. 5 October 2017. 5 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171005170621/http://www.the42.ie/brian-mceniff-karl-lacey-3631044-Oct2017/. 5 October 2017.
  4. News: Cahair. O'Kane. McCole finding his way. The Irish News. 23 May 2022. 23 May 2022. In captaining the team, McCole added his name to those of Jim McGuinness and Christy Toye as winning Sigerson captains to hail from Donegal..
  5. News: Chris. McNulty. Roisin follows a proud tradition. Donegal News. 1 February 2013. 1 February 2013. Seven years after her cousin Christy — son of her aunt, Rosemary — took the armband during Brian McIver's first year in Donegal….
  6. News: Ronan. Scott. Donegal legend McFadden recalls impact made by Jim McGuinness. Gaelic Life. 19 March 2020. 19 March 2020. Also published as "Colm Rain or Shine" in the Donegal News of the same date, 19 March 2020: pp 50–53.
  7. News: Keith. Duggan. Meehan adds spark to Galway attack. The Irish Times. 3 February 2003.
  8. News: Armagh's double still alive. Irish Independent. 1 September 2003.
  9. News: Awesome Armagh destroy Donegal. RTÉ Sport. 11 July 2004. 11 July 2004. Rory Kavanagh replaced the injured Christy Toye just before the break as two more McKeever points extended Armagh's lead to eight — 1–9 to 0–4..
  10. News: Donegal 0–09 1–09 Armagh. BBC Sport. 9 July 2006. …C Toye (capt)….
  11. News: Donegal achieve historic win — First national league title comes to county after victory over Mayo. https://web.archive.org/web/20150412230842/http://www.donegaltimes.com/2007/04_2/sport.html. dead. 12 April 2015. Donegal Times. 25 April 2007. 25 April 2007.
  12. News: Chris. McNulty. A goal-den moment for Christy Toye. Donegal News. 1 August 2011. 1 August 2011.
  13. News: Alan. Foley. A Toye's own story. Donegal Democrat. 23 August 2011. 23 August 2011. The goal was the 28-year-old's fourth at Croke Park in championship football — following strikes against Meath in 2002, Armagh a year later and then Cork in 2006 — which is a feat matched by no man from the county..
  14. News: Paul. Keane. Round 4B: Brilliant Donegal dismantle Galway. 1 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924020911/http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0108151953-round-4b-brilliant-donegal-dismantle-galway/. 1 August 2015. 24 September 2015.
  15. News: Live updates from the All-Ireland finals at Croke Park. RTÉ Sport. 23 September 2012. 23 September 2012.
  16. News: Chris. McNulty. 'Brilliant' Christy Toye display the highlight for Jim McGuinness on useful opening day. Donegal News. 3 February 2014. 3 February 2014.
  17. News: Chris. McNulty. Ciaran Bonner, Leon Thompson and Christy Toye among 'new' faces for Donegal. Donegal News. 29 September 2013. 29 September 2013.
  18. News: Alan. Foley. Serious illness meant Christy Toye didn't play in 2013 but now he's set for All-Ireland final: The Donegal player has experienced a remarkable revival. The42.ie. 16 September 2014. 16 September 2014.
  19. News: Countdown to Croker: Donegal name 'team' for All-Ireland final. 20 September 2014. 20 September 2014.
  20. News: Two changes to Donegal All-Ireland SFC final team. RTÉ Sport. 20 September 2014. 20 September 2014.
  21. News: Team news: Toye and McBrearty in. Hogan Stand. 20 September 2014. 20 September 2014.
  22. News: Kevin. O'Brien. Trio of Donegal All-Ireland winners announce their retirement from inter-county football. The42.ie. 10 January 2017. 10 January 2017.
  23. News: Murphy is the star as Glenswilly triumph. The Irish Times. 2 October 2011. 20 September 2012.
  24. News: Murphy magic proves key as Glenswilly secure first Donegal crown. Irish Independent. 3 October 2011. 3 October 2011.
  25. News: Easy in the end for Ilen. Irish Independent. 26 April 2004.
  26. News: Donegal sporting stars encouraging students to read more books. Highland Radio. 9 April 2016.
  27. News: Frank. Craig. Langan: We're very close to clicking. Gaelic Life. 7 January 2022. 7 January 2022. In such a structured environment, there is often very little room or even encouragement in modern Gaelic football for improvisation or off-the-cuff individualism. But Langan is a throwback to a different time. Even in Jim McGuinness'[sic] often rigid template, if things weren't going to plan Christy Toye's instinctive genius was often summoned for… 'There are some comparisons made between myself and Christy, we have a sort of languid style. We do like to play off the cuff. But I think that is just having belief in yourself to take on responsibility if the half chance presents itself. Christy did that so many times for Donegal over the years'.. Also published as "We're very close to clicking — Langan" in the Donegal News of 30 December 2021: p 54.

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