Kevin McStay is an Irish Gaelic football analyst and former player and manager. In retirement from playing McStay became an analyst with The Sunday Game; however, he remained involved as a manager and coach. He was educated at St Jarlath's College in Tuam during the 1970s, playing for the school team.
Football career
Born in Castlebar, County Mayo, McStay was introduced to Gaelic football by his father, a former player with the Tuam Stars. He played some Gaelic football at college level with St. Muredach's College and St. Jarlath's College, however, he enjoyed little success before coming to prominence at under-age levels with the Ballina Stephenites club. A two-time championship medal winner with the Ballina Stephenites senior club, he later won a championship medal with Roscommon Gaels. McStay also lined out for Ballymun Kickhams. McStay made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he first linked up with the Mayo minor team. A two-time Connacht medal winner in this grade, he later won one All-Ireland medal with the under-21 team. McStay made his senior debut during the 1983 championship. He went on to play a key role for Mayo in attack during a successful era and won two Connacht medals. McStay was an All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion. As a member of the Connacht inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, McStay never won a Railway Cup medal. Throughout his inter-county career, he made 56 appearances and scored a total of 7-122. 17 of these appearances were in the championship. McStay retired from inter-county Gaelic football after breaking his leg during the 1990 championship. McStay's brother, Paul McStay, and his brother-in-law, Liam McHale, also played with Mayo. Sean Rice of The Mayo News named McStay on his "Best Mayo Team Since 1960" in 2010.
Post-playing
In retirement from playing McStay became an analyst with The Sunday Game; however, he remained involved as a manager and coach. At inter-county level he led the Roscommon minor team before guiding the Mayo under-21 team to a Connacht title in 2001. As a club manager he steered Roscommon Gaels to championship success in 2004, before guiding St. Brigid's to the All-Ireland title in 2013. McStay was appointed joint-manager of the Roscommon senior team on 5 October 2015 and took over as manager in October 2016. He led the Roscommon team that won the 2017 Connacht Senior Football Championship, beating Galway 2-15 to 0-12, in Pearse Stadium, Salthill. McStay got himself into bother while his team were playing Donegal in the 2018 Championship, involving himself in a number of different incidents with match officials, shoving a linesman in a chest and hurling a football at full force in the direction of another. A lengthy ban resulted. However, he resigned as Roscommon manager before the ban was completed. Announcing his departure on 5 September 2018, he stated that he could bring the team no further. At this time, a vacancy had arisen in his native county following the earlier resignation as Mayo senior manager of Stephen Rochford, and McStay was linked with the job; however, McStay announced, on 5 September 2018, that "today marks my retirement from senior inter-county football management".
