The reluctant hero of Gaelic football, Peter Withnell

After years of searching and tinkering by Pete McGrath, Peter Withnell proved the final piece in the puzzle that brought Down to the 1991 All-Ireland football title.

Withnell’s name won’t be forgotten in Kerry or Meath, but he was a somewhat reluctant hero.

Uncomfortable in the public eye, for many years he endured sectarian abuse on the field and from the terraces and eventually soccer took him away from Gaelic football.