Christy Toye in action in Donegal's All-Ireland semi-final win over Dublin.
THE MONDAY AFTERNOON after Donegal reclaimed the Ulster championship last July, its players gathered at the Scotsman Bar in Donegal Town.
Jim McGuinness had told his players to, if they wished, let their hair down, whilst reminding them of a get-together the following evening with an All-Ireland quarter-final in mind.
McGuinness, who had gone home to Glenties, always puts focus on the group. That Monday, they didn’t want to splinter their separate ways.
“Dunfanghy,” someone announced. It seemed a strange call. Donegal is known for its geographical vastness, so surely someone could find somewhere closer than the 90-minute trek to Dunfanaghy?
“No, it’s Christy’s call,” was the answer. “There will be a couple of mini-buses here soon.”
Starting Out
Christy Toye is Donegal’s longest serving player. The first of his 52 championship appearances was against Cavan in 2002, alongside McGuinness.
But it wasn’t his longevity in the Donegal jersey that allowed Toye’s peers to give him responsibility for planning the destination that sunny July evening; it was because of the journey he had taken to get there.
Eleven months beforehand Toye stood outside the Big Tree as the Garda escort took the Donegal panel upon the McGuinness family-owned coach to Croke Park for an All-Ireland quarter-final against Mayo.
Toye hadn’t kicked a ball for Donegal since the 2-11 to 0-13 All-Ireland final victory over the same opposition the previous September. Having had to pull out of the end of season team holiday to Dubai, he contracted trigeminal neuralgia – a rare facial nerve disorder previously known as ‘suicide disease’ – and spent five months in his bedroom at home in Creeslough.
As a teenager, Toye was a Croke Park goalscorer against Meath in a 2002 qualifier and Armagh in the All-Ireland semi-final loss a year later. By 2009, at 26, Donegal’s fortunes had flat-lined, although the St Michael’s clubman was in the best form of his career.
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Toye celebrates his 2003 goal against Armagh. INPHO
INPHO
But with Donegal spluttering out of Ulster against Antrim, Toye ruptured an Achilles tendon in a drab qualifier against Clare. A pin could be heard drop in Ballybofey as he was stretchered from the field.
Twenty-five months passed without Toye’s name appearing on a Donegal team sheet. He watched on in 2010 as Armagh decimated Donegal from the championship in Crossmaglen.
McGuinness, appointed that summer, was left to pick up the pieces. He wiped the slate clean, although Toye, who returned, didn’t feature in 2011’s Division Two or Donegal’s first Ulster championship win in 19 years.
Back In Action
As the dusk set in over the Drumcondra on the last Saturday in July 2011, McGuinness summoned Toye from the bench 58 minutes into the All-Ireland quarter-final against Kildare. A claustrophobic encounter was deadlocked at 0-7 apiece.
Darting straight towards Hill 16 from the sideline, Toye, who had barely broken stride, was located by Frank McGlynn in a pocket of space. With his first touch, Toye drove past Shane Connolly just 25 seconds – a second for every month out – after his introduction.
Toye levelled the scores in injury time in the second period of extra-time; the prelude to Kevin Cassidy’s dramatic long-range winner with virtually the last kick of the game.
A year later, Toye was again playing the role of impact sub in frenetic conclusions to victories over Kerry and Cork, proving that invaluable edge of experience against Mayo late in the All-Ireland final.
Toye and Donegal’s tarot cards looked bleak following a 4-17 to 1-10 drubbing against James Horan’s Mayo last year. McGuinness’s future was questioned; many claimed Toye didn’t even have that much.
Magnus
Nicknamed ‘Magnus’ after the former world’s strongest man – Icelandic Magnús Ver Magnússon – because of his bench-pressing abilities, a different type of strength was required from Toye.
To the surprise of many, Toye was named at centre-field for Donegal’s first outing of Division Two against Laois at O’Moore Park in February. Seventy minutes later he was picking up the man of the match award after Donegal’s 2-19 to 1-9 win.
Christy Toye in action in last July's Ulster final. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
That showed signs that Donegal and Toye’s ailments were receding but it took until the Ulster final, where McGuinness’s team overcame Monaghan 0-15 to 1-9, for the all-clear.
“This time last year I wasn’t even playing and to be back here and playing and winning is very pleasing and is a humbling experience to be honest,” Toye said as he grasped the Anglo-Celt Cup.
“Thankfully Jim showed faith in me, kept me in the panel and allowed me to be involved. That was important to me and I appreciated it and what the medical team did for me too.”
Praise
Minutes later, in the tunnel at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones, McGuinness even broke from his norm of praising the collective.
“I’m delighted for Christy Toye,” the Donegal manager said. “He had a very bad illness and he was so far away from it. I’m thrilled because he had to work so hard. Form can go up or down but an illness can end your career.”
Jim McGuinness kisses the Anglo Celt Cup after Donegal's 2014 Ulster final win. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Two hours after leaving Donegal Town the minibuses arrived in tourist season in Dunfanghy. It’s where Toye’s St Michael’s club are housed; a place that was never considered a hotbed for football. Until not so long ago, its most famous member and former player was Paul McGinley, whose father Mick is from the town and mother Julia is the current Lady President at Dunfanaghy Golf Club.
Dubliner McGinley, who attended St Michael’s recent domestic All-County Football League Division One fixture against Michael Murphy’s Glenswilly, will captain Europe in the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles next week. Toye and clubmates Colm McFadden and Martin McElhinney, however, are swelling the club’s standing.
Dunfanaghy, with majestic yet uninterrupted beaches like Marble Hill and Killahoey, is known as being a sometimes quiet and occasionally lively, a friendly yet unassuming place where there’s a vibrant music scene. It tends to come to life in summertime.
Toye, who was armed with an acoustic guitar as the crowd gathered for the singsong out the back of Patsy Dan’s, possesses similar characteristics. It was on the sand-dunes of those same beaches, in the depths of last winter, that McGuinness first put his panel through their paces for this season.
Christy Toye in action against Michael Darragh MacAuley. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
Donegal went onto defeat Armagh and then shocked Dublin to reach a second All-Ireland final in three years, with Paul Durcan’s save from Diarmuid Connolly and Toye’s introduction perceived as the turning points in that 3-14 to 0-17 All-Ireland semi-final win.
You might’ve thought Toye’s story had been penned but he’s on his way to an All-Ireland final appearance against Kerry. A bit like Donegal’s story, there might be a chapter or two to write yet.
Serious illness meant Christy Toye didn't play in 2013 but now he's set for All-Ireland final
THE MONDAY AFTERNOON after Donegal reclaimed the Ulster championship last July, its players gathered at the Scotsman Bar in Donegal Town.
Jim McGuinness had told his players to, if they wished, let their hair down, whilst reminding them of a get-together the following evening with an All-Ireland quarter-final in mind.
McGuinness, who had gone home to Glenties, always puts focus on the group. That Monday, they didn’t want to splinter their separate ways.
“Dunfanghy,” someone announced. It seemed a strange call. Donegal is known for its geographical vastness, so surely someone could find somewhere closer than the 90-minute trek to Dunfanaghy?
“No, it’s Christy’s call,” was the answer. “There will be a couple of mini-buses here soon.”
Starting Out
Christy Toye is Donegal’s longest serving player. The first of his 52 championship appearances was against Cavan in 2002, alongside McGuinness.
But it wasn’t his longevity in the Donegal jersey that allowed Toye’s peers to give him responsibility for planning the destination that sunny July evening; it was because of the journey he had taken to get there.
Eleven months beforehand Toye stood outside the Big Tree as the Garda escort took the Donegal panel upon the McGuinness family-owned coach to Croke Park for an All-Ireland quarter-final against Mayo.
Toye hadn’t kicked a ball for Donegal since the 2-11 to 0-13 All-Ireland final victory over the same opposition the previous September. Having had to pull out of the end of season team holiday to Dubai, he contracted trigeminal neuralgia – a rare facial nerve disorder previously known as ‘suicide disease’ – and spent five months in his bedroom at home in Creeslough.
As a teenager, Toye was a Croke Park goalscorer against Meath in a 2002 qualifier and Armagh in the All-Ireland semi-final loss a year later. By 2009, at 26, Donegal’s fortunes had flat-lined, although the St Michael’s clubman was in the best form of his career.
But with Donegal spluttering out of Ulster against Antrim, Toye ruptured an Achilles tendon in a drab qualifier against Clare. A pin could be heard drop in Ballybofey as he was stretchered from the field.
Twenty-five months passed without Toye’s name appearing on a Donegal team sheet. He watched on in 2010 as Armagh decimated Donegal from the championship in Crossmaglen.
McGuinness, appointed that summer, was left to pick up the pieces. He wiped the slate clean, although Toye, who returned, didn’t feature in 2011’s Division Two or Donegal’s first Ulster championship win in 19 years.
Back In Action
As the dusk set in over the Drumcondra on the last Saturday in July 2011, McGuinness summoned Toye from the bench 58 minutes into the All-Ireland quarter-final against Kildare. A claustrophobic encounter was deadlocked at 0-7 apiece.
Darting straight towards Hill 16 from the sideline, Toye, who had barely broken stride, was located by Frank McGlynn in a pocket of space. With his first touch, Toye drove past Shane Connolly just 25 seconds – a second for every month out – after his introduction.
Toye levelled the scores in injury time in the second period of extra-time; the prelude to Kevin Cassidy’s dramatic long-range winner with virtually the last kick of the game.
A year later, Toye was again playing the role of impact sub in frenetic conclusions to victories over Kerry and Cork, proving that invaluable edge of experience against Mayo late in the All-Ireland final.
Toye and Donegal’s tarot cards looked bleak following a 4-17 to 1-10 drubbing against James Horan’s Mayo last year. McGuinness’s future was questioned; many claimed Toye didn’t even have that much.
Magnus
Nicknamed ‘Magnus’ after the former world’s strongest man – Icelandic Magnús Ver Magnússon – because of his bench-pressing abilities, a different type of strength was required from Toye.
To the surprise of many, Toye was named at centre-field for Donegal’s first outing of Division Two against Laois at O’Moore Park in February. Seventy minutes later he was picking up the man of the match award after Donegal’s 2-19 to 1-9 win.
That showed signs that Donegal and Toye’s ailments were receding but it took until the Ulster final, where McGuinness’s team overcame Monaghan 0-15 to 1-9, for the all-clear.
“This time last year I wasn’t even playing and to be back here and playing and winning is very pleasing and is a humbling experience to be honest,” Toye said as he grasped the Anglo-Celt Cup.
“Thankfully Jim showed faith in me, kept me in the panel and allowed me to be involved. That was important to me and I appreciated it and what the medical team did for me too.”
Praise
Minutes later, in the tunnel at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones, McGuinness even broke from his norm of praising the collective.
“I’m delighted for Christy Toye,” the Donegal manager said. “He had a very bad illness and he was so far away from it. I’m thrilled because he had to work so hard. Form can go up or down but an illness can end your career.”
Two hours after leaving Donegal Town the minibuses arrived in tourist season in Dunfanghy. It’s where Toye’s St Michael’s club are housed; a place that was never considered a hotbed for football. Until not so long ago, its most famous member and former player was Paul McGinley, whose father Mick is from the town and mother Julia is the current Lady President at Dunfanaghy Golf Club.
Dubliner McGinley, who attended St Michael’s recent domestic All-County Football League Division One fixture against Michael Murphy’s Glenswilly, will captain Europe in the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles next week. Toye and clubmates Colm McFadden and Martin McElhinney, however, are swelling the club’s standing.
Dunfanaghy, with majestic yet uninterrupted beaches like Marble Hill and Killahoey, is known as being a sometimes quiet and occasionally lively, a friendly yet unassuming place where there’s a vibrant music scene. It tends to come to life in summertime.
Toye, who was armed with an acoustic guitar as the crowd gathered for the singsong out the back of Patsy Dan’s, possesses similar characteristics. It was on the sand-dunes of those same beaches, in the depths of last winter, that McGuinness first put his panel through their paces for this season.
Donegal went onto defeat Armagh and then shocked Dublin to reach a second All-Ireland final in three years, with Paul Durcan’s save from Diarmuid Connolly and Toye’s introduction perceived as the turning points in that 3-14 to 0-17 All-Ireland semi-final win.
You might’ve thought Toye’s story had been penned but he’s on his way to an All-Ireland final appearance against Kerry. A bit like Donegal’s story, there might be a chapter or two to write yet.
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