EAGLE-EYED Irish News readers have managed to supply the last piece of the puzzle of Down GAA's victorious 1961 All-Ireland winning team photograph in front of Kilmainham Gaol's famous rebel wall.
The picture, taken the day after the senior team's victory at Croke Park, shows besuited players and coaching staff visiting the prison which was undergoing the process of extensive restoration by a group of enthusiastic volunteers.
A number of readers contacted the newspaper to identify the mystery player, standing between John Smith and PJ McIlroy, as former Castlewellan senior player and QUB stalwart Hugh McAllister.
McAllister, who died last year, was a member, with captain Pat Rice of the Castlewellan team that won the Championship and the Feis Sevens.
Team mate George Lavery, who is pictured at the extreme right of the photograph said he has only faint memories of the trip to Kilmainham.
"It was taken the day after, because it had been taken the day before they wouldn't have let us out for the match," he joked yesterday.
"They didn't keep us in anyway. We were all well-behaved. At that stage we were all excited about the win and looking forward to getting back home. It was great to bring the cup over the border again after winning the year before - the first time it had come north.
"I had my brothers with me, my family down with me. I'm one of seven and they managed to get tickets.
"There was no celebrating 'til we got the match over. We were taken to the jail and somewhere else.
"I don't think anyone would know any of us now. They never saw us play. No one has mentioned us going back down to recreate the picture. I'd be more interested in going down to see us win the All-Ireland again."
A reader also identified the photograph of the young man with the rucksack and sleeping-bag on his back as Charlie Doherty (Cathair O Dochartaigh) from the Belmont area in Belfast.
He had attended St Malachy's College and was in the same year as Breandan Ó hAnnaidh, who took a series of pictures during a summer spent volunteering along with four friends at the prison.
The QUB students answered a call from the Kilmainham Gaol Restoration Society to save the famous Dublin landmark which had been earmarked for demolition by the authorities.
Dr Ó hAnnaidh is uncle of SDLP assembly member Claire Hanna.
