An outstanding captain who was credited with bringing the popularity of Gaelic football to a new level in the 1960s, Galway corner back Enda Colleran remains the only man from his county to have lifted the Sam Maguire Cup aloft at Croke Park in consecutive years.
The three-in-a-row star went on to become one of the most respected analysts of the game thanks to his appearances on RTÉ television in the 1980s.
A member of the side which reached four All-Ireland finals in a row between 1963 and 1967, winning the last three, the young schoolteacher from Moylough was honoured with the captaincy for both the 1965 and 1966 campaigns.
Colleran was part of an iron line of defence in front of goalkeeper Johnny Geraghty, with the towering Noel Tierney in the centre and John "Bosco" McDermott in the left corner. He is remembered as a lively and nimble defender, quick to read the game, whose massive 60-yard kick-outs put opposing teams under pressure.
The team built up a keen rivalry with the acclaimed Kerry and Meath sides of the 1960s, beating Kerry in consecutive finals before accounting for Meath in the 1966 decider. Colleran, who first played senior football for Galway in 1961, later captained Connacht to a Railway Cup title in 1967.
He was selected for the GAA Team of the Century in 1984, and again for the Team of the Millennium, announced in 2000.
In 1998, after Galway bridged a 32-year gap by winning the All-Ireland, he brought the house down with a witty and unrehearsed speech when he was awarded the Hall of Fame at the annual Galway Sports Stars awards.
After retiring from the inter-county game, and following the abolition of "the ban" (which prevented GAA members from playing "foreign" games), his sporting career took a new turn when he took up the game of rugby, along with Galway colleagues Jimmy Duggan and Martin Newell, in 1971.
Colleran, who had a love of all sports, played a key role in Corinthians' victory in the 1972 Connacht Senior Cup final, kicking two penalties in their win over University College Galway. His conversion to rugby had created quite a stir at the time.
His leadership qualities were again recognised when he was appointed manager of the Galway team for a spell in the mid-1970s, guiding them to a Connacht title and an All-Ireland semi-final, only to lose by a goal to Kevin Heffernan's Dublin side.
Throughout the 1980s he was a match analyst on RTÉ's Sunday Game. His views on the game were respected throughout Ireland, just as they were in the staff room of Colaiste Einde in Salthill, where he taught from his graduation from UCG in 1966 up to his retirement in May of last year.
He took just one year out from the school, to work in the insurance business, and enjoyed setting up his own management company after his retirement in May last year.
The youngest member of a family who grew up in the football-mad community of Moylough in north Galway, he first broke on to the national sporting scene in 1960 when he won a Hogan Cup (All-Ireland) with St Jarlath's College, Tuam, followed by an All-Ireland minor title with Galway the same year.
Pupils at Colaiste Einde in the late 1960s found it hard to reconcile the friendly, entertaining and unassuming geography teacher with the football star who had made their sporting dreams come true with the Galway team.
Generations of students found that he brought a great sense of humour to the classroom, although he was always keen to ensure that GAA talk was confined to the periods between classes.
On Monday mornings Colleran would demonstrate as much passion discussing the weekend games in the staff room with colleagues Frank Morris and Kieran Muldoon as he had the previous evening on the television.
Colleran also enjoyed taking physical education classes at Colaiste Einde, and became a keen golfer over the past 15 years. He had enjoyed a full round of golf with former footballers Liam Sammon, Christy Tyrrell and Tony Regan on Wednesday, the day before he died, and had planned an outing to the Connemara Isles course this weekend.
He remained a keen supporter of the Galway team, regularly attending matches throughout the country, and often provided encouragement and advice to the current generation of Galway players. The 1960s team built up a huge bond and maintained their friendships long after their playing days.
Colleran enjoyed tennis as well as golf, and regularly walked the promenade in Salthill with his wife, Ann. He also attended the gym regularly and was a moderate drinker, limiting himself to just one pint of stout after a game of golf.
He died suddenly at his Barna home, on the outskirts of Galway city, in the early hours of Thursday morning, and a palpable feeling of shock spread through the Galway sporting community at news of his passing.
He is survived by his wife and best friend, Ann, sons Enda jnr, Ronan and Shane, daughter Orla, grandchild Tara, son-in-law Alan, brothers Father Gabriel and Seamus, sister Moira, and a wide circle of family and friends.
Enda Colleran: born May 2nd, 1942; died April 8th, 2004