His league and championship career at senior level with the Dublin county team spanned thirteen seasons from 1972 to 1984, including six All-Ireland finals in a row.
Born in Dublin, O'Toole first played competitive Gaelic football during his schooling at Synge Street CBS.
O'Toole made his debut on the inter-county scene when he was picked on the Dublin minor team.
Over the course of the next thirteen seasons he won four All-Ireland medals,[5] beginning with a lone triumph in 1974, back-to-back championships in 1976 and 1977 and a final title in 1983.
[7] With Brian Mullins, he was the last of the '74 team left in the side when they won their final championship of that era in 1983, although at that stage O'Toole had been remade into a full forward.