Gentleman Jack retained his star quality to the end

I was privileged to meet the great Jack Kyle on several occasions and honoured to share a podium with him as we were both invited to speak at the gala 125-year anniversary celebrations of the IRFU.

The first time I came across him, Ireland were playing for Triple Crown and Five Nations championship honours in 1982. Kyle had returned from Zambia for a game against Scotland in Dublin. A buzz surrounded his presence. People flocked to the Shelbourne Hotel just to see him.

I caught up with the great man at a number of different functions in recent years and it never ceased to amaze me the amount of people, many of whom were well into the 60s, who approached Jack for a photo or an autograph. Even he was quietly amused by all the attention attaching to a man who, at that stage, hadn’t played a game for over 50 years. A gentleman to his fingertips and a humanitarian to the end, he was one of a kind. My condolences to his family on his passing.