Meeting the quiet Colonel who marshalled Gavin's Dublin army 

You may not know the name, you may not recognise the face but John Courtney was a central cog in the well-oiled backroom that helped Dublin to dominate Gaelic football for six seasons.

Marching to his own drum: John Courtney, a backroom member of the six-in-a-row Dublin team photographed at Sarsfields GAA club in Newbridge.

Outside the setup he was one of those anonymous, mystical figures that formed part of Dublin’s gigantic, uber-professional backroom. Within it they all knew and loved him as the Colonel, there to serve them and the cause in whatever way that was needed. For free, even though he was a Corkman living in Kildare, and what seemed like would be forever.

In the Irish army John Courtney was literally a colonel. In Jim Gavin’s any title to describe what he did and brought would be too restrictive, inadequate.