The An Post/GAA Football Team of the Millennium

1. Goalkeeper - Danno Keeffe - Kerry
As Kerry goalkeeper from the All-Ireland final of 1931 to the end of the 1948 championship Danno was a record breaker. His seven All-Ireland medal haul was not exceeded until 1986 and his record of fourteen Munster Senior medals still stands. Including replays he played in thirteen All-Ireland finals finishing with the New York Polo Grounds epic of 1947.

2. Right corner back - Enda Colleran - Galway
The Galway three-in-a-row team of the 1960s occupied a special place in the annals of the GAA. It was a team in the real sense of the word and Enda Colleran who captained the side in 1965 and ‘66 played a leading role in moulding them together. As a corner back he frequently displayed fine fielding and long kicking and was always on hand to ensure that the defence played as a unit.

3. Full back Joe Keohane - Kerry
Joe Keohane was one of the fullbacks who contributed a great deal to the folklore which envelopes gaelic football. While still a member of the county minor team he won his first senior provincial medal in 1936. High fielding and long kicking were features of his full back play during a career which brought him a remarkable five All-Ireland medals and ten Munster medals.

4. Left corner back - Sean Flanagan - Mayo
Sean Flanagan of Mayo was regarded as the ideal captain on the field of play - peerless and perfect as a last line defender with the added trait of being capable of inspiring his team mates ito expend the ultimate effort. He led his county during its most illustrious era to date when the Sam Maguire trophy was captured in 1950 and ‘51.

5. Right half back - Sean Murphy - Kerry
Sean Murphy won the first of three senior All-Ireland medals as a midfielder in 1953. He collected the other pair as a right halfback. His display in the 1959 All-Ireland final has been described as the definitive classical exhibition of halfback play. He also won junior and minor All-Irelands and was voted Texaco All -Stars Footballer of the Year in 1959.

6. Centre half back - John Joe Reilly - Cavan
John Joe was a natural leader of men and truly great sportsman. He was the recognised master of centre back play and a series of brilliant displays was a major factor in Cavan’s two-in-a-row of All-Ireland wins in the forties. The first was at the Polo Grounds of New York in 1947 where John Joe the captain became John Joe the legend. A year later he was leader once more in the successful defence of the All-Ireland title.

7. Left half back - Martin O’Connell - Meath
Over the years Meath football has yieldedan impressive quota of top-class players with massive commitment to the game. Attacking wing back Martin O’Connell was such a player and a key figure in his county’s successes from the mid eighties to 1996. He was on the All-Ireland winning teams of 1987, ‘88 and ‘96 and is unique in his county on two counts and the only players to hold three All-Ireland medals and six Leinster medals.

8. Midfielder - Mick O’Connell - Kerry
Mick O’Connell played his first senior championship game in 1956 and competed until 1974. He was a specialist in all the skills of the game and was noted for this prowess as a spectacular high fielder and accurate kicker from hand or sod. He played the game with style and elegance and won All-Ireland medals in three decades and on four occasions in all being captain in 1959. He was Texaco Footballer of the Year in 1962.

9. Midfielder - Tommy Murphy - Laois
Tommy Murphy of Graiguecullen was a rare talent. At sixteen he was first chosen for the county senior team and his performances led to him being known as ‘The Boy Wonder’. He developed into a midfielder of great fame and respect and was crucial to the successes of Laois during the 1930s when winning three Leinster titles in a row from ‘36 to ‘38. He was a regular on Leinster teams for many years winning two Railway Cup medals.

10, Right half forward - Sean O’Neill - Down
In Down’s emergence as a major football force in the 1960s, their style of play was both spectacular and flamboyant. Sean O’Neill quickly gained a reputation as a scorer of brilliant goals. He combined speed, craft and vision in his county’s All-Ireland wins of 1960, ‘61 and ‘68. He was Gaelic Footballer of the Year in 1968 and his eight Railway Cup medals is a National record.

11. Centre half forward Sean Purcell - Galway
Sean Purcell is always prominent in the debate as to the greatest gaelic footballer of all time. His ability to play with panache in a variety of positions, his poise, grace and balance coupled with an innate instinct for combined play brought him as near as possible to the perfect footballer. He helped Galway to win seven Connacht titles between 1954 and 1963 and an All-Ireland in 1956. He was a regular on Connacht teams from the late forties and won three railway cup medals.

12, Left half forward - Pat Spillane - Kerry
Pat Spillane’s achievement in winning eight All-Ireland medals is a record he shares with four others. His nine All-Star Awards make him unique. In a career that stretched from 1975 to 1991 Pat never strayed from his philosophy of total dedication in pursuit of victory. His work rate was phenomenal and was made possible by his unending application to training and preparation. Pat was selected as Player of the Year in 1978 and 1986.

13. Right corner forward - Mikey Sheehy - Kerry
Another holder of eight All-Ireland medals, Mikey Sheehy’s play owed much to highly toned skills, subtlety and, according to many judges an element of genius. He was a prolific scorer from both frees and play and notched 25 goals and 186 points in senior championship football for his county. His most celebrated score was the ‘chipped’ goal against Dublin in the All-Ireland final in 1978. He was the 1979 Footballer of the Year.

14. Full forward - Tom Langan - Mayo
Tom Langan was just a boy when he helped his native Ballycastle to wins the Mayo senior championship of 1937. He was at his best during Mayo’s golden years between 1948 and 1955 when five Connacht titles and two All-Irelands were won. Tall and angular, Tom perfected the arts of fielding, feinting and swerving to hunt for goals at vital stages. He scored a classic in Mayo’s All-Ireland win over Meath in 1951.

15. Left corner forward - Kevin Heffernan - Dublin
The arrival of a superb St. Vincent’s team in Dublin in the late 1940s ushered in a new and exciting era for gaelic football. On national league final day 1953 a Dublin team of 14 Vincents players defeated reigning All-Ireland champions Cavan. Kevin was the natural leader of that team. An accomplished forward with great pace and a bewildering sidestep, he was captain when Dublin won the All-Ireland of 1958. In 1962 he won his seventh Railway Cup medal, all as left corner forward, 13 years after he was first honoured by Leinster.