also won six senior county championship hurling titles in 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1959 and 1962. Inter-county Heffernan played both hurling and football at minor level with Dublin in the early 1940s. He had some success at these levels, winning a Leinster minor football medal in 1946 and a Leinster minor hurling medal in 1947. He made his senior debut for the Dublin footballers the same year that he was sitting his Leaving Certificate, breaking his jaw in a game just days before his first exam. In spite of this inauspicious start Heffernan went on to have a distinguished inter-county career. Heffernan first tasted success in 1948 when he won an All-Ireland medal with the junior football team. In 1953 he won a National Football League before winning a second medal in 1955. Later that same year Heffernan claimed his first Leinster; however, his side were later defeated by Kerry in the All-Ireland final. Three years later in 1958 Heffernan was captain of Dublin when he won his third National League title as well as a second Leinster title. He later guided his native-county to an All-Ireland victory over Derry. Heffernan later won two further Leinster titles in 1959 and 1962, however, there was no further All-Ireland titles. He retired from inter-county football shortly afterwards. Managerial career Following a great inter-county career with Dublin, he became manager of the senior inter-county team in late 1973, with Donal Colfer and Lorcan Redmond as his fellow selectors. The era was dominated by the intense rivalry between Dublin and Kerry. In his first championship season in charge he guided 'the Dubs' to their first Leinster and All-Ireland titles since 1963. Heffernan's young Dublin side captivated the imagination of the youth and working class of the city, traditionally not Gaelic Football followers. The Dublin fans branded themselves 'Heffo's Army' in his honour, and this was the start of the Dublin Hill 16 terrace culture which remains strong in the present day. Following the completion of the championship Heffernan became the only non-player to be nominated Texaco Footballer of the Year. In 1975 Dublin captured a second consecutive Leinster title; however, a young Kerry team caught Heffernan's teams in a complacent mood in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Dublin bounced back the following year to win the National League as well as a third Leinster title in-a-row before going on to defeat Kerry in the All-Ireland