John Horan, GAA president

Well, it would have been quite the surprise were he not to feature. That being said, the Dubliner has shown himself to be a man of action. Whatever people think about the second-tier inter-county football structure and how the cart was put before the horse when the Special Congress vote preceded the fixtures task force report, Horan had achieved an aim. Tackling development squads was another, and he’s on his way to doing just that.

Tom Ryan, GAA director general

There was never going to be another Páraic Duffy, at least not directly after Duffy. Ryan, the GAA’s former director of finance, is a quieter chief executive and more like Duffy’s predecessor Liam Mulvihill. He will soon be coming up on two years in the position and while he hasn’t been hugely prominent in driving policy and issues like those recently in Galway and Mayo that would have landed in his field of financial expertise, he is regarded by many as a calm, shrewd operator.

Peter McKenna, GAA commercial and stadium director

The Longford native will shortly enter his 20th year with the GAA, having been Croke Park director for 10 years before taking up his extended role from 2011. The vision of transforming Croke Park was Peter Quinn’s, but so much of servicing that dream and turning GAA HQ into a constant revenue stream is down to McKenna. The Croke Park Hotel and plans to purchase more land on Clonliffe Road all fall into his brief, while he also brought through the successful associate sponsorship of the All-Ireland competitions.

Feargal McGill, GAA director of club, games and player welfare

McGill is now over 20 years in Croke Park having begun in the communications department working with long-standing PRO Danny Lynch. Also a secretary of the Central Competitions Control Committee, his influence in devising the fixtures calendar has been considerable for several years now. The Leitrim man is also the man on point for the International Rules Series.

Brian Cody, Kilkenny senior hurling manager

When the great man talks, people listen — and while All-Irelands have dried up in recent seasons, Cody has achieved so much that his voice still booms. His concerns about how the club game has been impacted by changes to the inter-county championship even prompted Horan to ask him onto a committee to discuss it.

John Costello, Dublin GAA chief executive

Just as it would be foolish to think money has been the sole reason behind Dublin senior football’s successes this past decade, it’s difficult to consider that it would be achieved without such an impressive administrator. Costello has played a leading role in making GAA structures in the capital efficient and fruitful.

Nickey Brennan, former GAA president

But for Brennan’s shrewd intervention at Congress last year, the GAA could have had a real PR disaster on their hands by rejecting the Club Players Association. The Kilkenny man has been called on by Croke Park several times since he finished his term to oversee changes to areas such as information technology and games development (Liam O’Neill’s leadership has been similarly sought). His legacy as president is evident today in the transformation of the GAA at central level.

Paul Flynn, GPA chief executive

Appointed as Dermot Earley’s successor in June 2018, the six-time All-Ireland SFC and four-time All Star winner has been carrying out a major strategic review of the official players’ body.

The 33-year-old hasn’t been afraid to clash with Croke Park, and while the GPA might wonder about the extent of their influence at Congress, the organisation with Flynn at the head still carries plenty of weight.

Alan Milton, GAA director of communications

The former Irish Independent and Irish Sun journalist is now over 10 years in Croke Park, having been first appointed as communications manager before taking up a head of communications position prior to succeeding Lisa Clancy as a director. The Round Towers clubman is chiefly responsible for how the GAA articulates and presents itself to the public at central level.

John Prenty, Connacht GAA secretary

There’s no coincidence that the Mayo man has been a part of so many committees, most recently the fixtures review task force.

By no means a traditionalist, but forthright in his views, Prenty’s longevity in the provincial province is a testament to his relevance.

Kieran Leddy, Munster GAA chief executive

Previously GAA operations manager, Leddy took over the Munster position from Simon Moroney early last year.

A progressive administrator (consider his recent support for Munster becoming an eight-team province for senior football, for example), he is already made his presence felt in making Munster GAA a leading example — his time coinciding with two hugely successful senior hurling championships under that competition’s new round-robin system.

Michael Reynolds, Leinster GAA chief executive

No other provincial secretary has as big a brief as Reynolds, who has been in the role since succeeding Michael Delaney in 2014. Although Dublin’s dominance has made a mockery of the Leinster SFC, the Leitrim man has largely been a steady hand at the tiller.

Brian McAvoy, Ulster GAA chief executive

The late Danny Murphy’s boots were big ones to fill, but his fellow Down man has been doing an admirable job.

With the Casement Park redevelopment hold-up and the composition of the Ulster Senior Football Championship coming into the spotlight, we should expect to hear more from McAvoy.

Kevin O’Donovan, Cork GAA chief executive

Handling the biggest GAA county in the country is one thing, following Frank Murphy is another, but it’s very much the former that O’Donovan is focused on. Now a year in office, he has reaped a whirlwind with the debts attributable to the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and with that there are more questions than answers. However, his determination to put in place the necessary supports for the betterment of Cork GAA is obvious.

Joan Kehoe, Club Players Association

Micheál Briody, the CPA chairman, could easily feature in these 20, but we chose prominent businesswoman Kehoe for her presence on that national executive committee, her kingmaker role for the director general position last year and mentoring duty to clubs in how to conduct their finances. When she was in demand to join other boards associated with the GAA, her decision to work with the CPA drew plenty of attention.

Pat Daly, GAA director of games

Daly will soon hand over the reins of the department to Shane Flanagan before taking up his new role in research and innovation, but his contribution to the GAA has been enormous from GoGames, to Cúl Camps, to playing rule changes, to Hawk-Eye.

The Tallow man is currently overseeing the introduction of the yellow standardised sliotar.

Liam Sheedy, Tipperary senior hurling manager

Having missed out on the director general position by a short nose, Sheedy dusted himself off and guided his county to an All-Ireland title this past season.

He had previously done so in 2010, but since then he has headed up the Hurling 2020 committee as well as being a member of the GAA’s management committee. The very definition of a high achiever.

Liam Keane, Rules Advisory Committee chairman

As well as being a member of management committee, the Dunshaughlin solicitor heads up the body that has the job of reshaping the rulebook to follow policy as well as closing loopholes. Keane has now provided counsel for the last four GAA presidents. Has previously chaired a host of GAA disciplinary bodies as well as being the first-ever secretary of the Disputes Resolution Authority.

Joe Canning, Galway senior hurler

While one All-Ireland SHC title hardly satisfies hurling’s leading man since Henry Shefflin, it at least ensured he avoided being the greatest hurler never to win an All-Ireland. A remarkably gifted hurler who transcends his county in not just the awesome skill he continues to exhibit, but the supreme leadership he has shown.

David Clifford, Kerry senior footballer

Con O’Callaghan might have several more All-Ireland senior medals, but no footballer in the country right now puts more bums on seats than the young Fossa man — and that goes back to his minor days. Has there been a player of such attraction since Mick O’Connell?