He played hurling with his local club Glen Rovers and was a member of both the Cork and Dublin senior inter-county teams in the 1930s and 1940s.
He still today (2024) has the highest scoring record of six goals and one point in the 1940 Cork County hurling final.
Having never played at inter-county underage or junior levels, Tobin was drafted onto the Cork senior team during the 1940 Munster Championship.
Tobin claimed a Munster Championship medal that year before lining out at left corner-forward in the All-Ireland final defeat of Dublin.
They had two sons and five daughters, Mick, Pauline, David, Margaret, Eleanor, Anne and Amanda.