Tony Brennan was born in Clonoulty, County Tipperary in 1916 to a family steeped in sporting history.
His uncles, on his father's side, were outstanding athletes in their day in their native place of Boyle, County Roscommon.
Brennan was educated at the local national school and later attended Thurles CBS where his hurling skills were further developed.
Brennan's final year of secondary school took him to Rockwell College where he won numerous honours for being an outstanding athlete in 1935.
That same year he played for the college's Harty Cup team, however, his side was beaten in the final by the North Monastery from Cork.
At that time the All-Ireland colleges' championship was played on an inter-provincial basis and Brennan was selected for Munster on four occasions from 1931 to 1935.
In 1937 Brennan joined the Irish-speaking battalion of the Irish Army and was stationed at Renmore, County Galway for eight years.
While changing the gun from one hand to another to put a pheasant he had just shot into his bag, the firearm accidentally discharged and fatally wounded him.
Brennan was posthumously honoured in 2000 when he was named in the full-back position on the Tipperary Hurling Team of the Century.
Brennan won a junior county title in the late 1930s and played senior hurling with the club until his return to Clonoulty in 1945.
He missed Tipp's Munster minor final victory in 1934, however, he returned in time to capture a second consecutive All-Ireland medal.
It is estimated that up to 50,000 people packed into FitzGerald Stadium to witness the game as gates were broken down, walls were scaled and the playing field was frequently invaded.
The atmosphere was different from the previous encounter; however, Tipp still won the game giving Brennan a third Munster medal in-a-row, his fourth overall.