The people of the Glens turned out force on Wednesday to say farewell to the ‘King of Cushendall’, John McKillop.
‘Wee’ John died on Sunday last in his home at 30 Coast Road, Cushendall, in the same room he was born in on February 4th 1963. Since the news of his death there has been widespread mourning in the village and in the surrounding glens, but most of all in the Ruairi Og club when John has been a legend throughout his life.
When the Ruairis made the major breakthrough by winning the Senior Hurling Championship back in 1981 John was in the photo, celebrating with the team and he has been in practically every team photo taken ever since. He was there in Monty Sion, Waterford in 1982 when they team played their first All Ireland semi-final and he was in Croke Park in 2016 when the Ruairis played in their first All Ireland final against Na Pairsaig of Limerick.
Each new generation took him under their wing where he was given pride of place at all their big games in both hurling and Camogie, meeting match officials before each game, making friends the length and breadth of Ireland. The recent decline in his health meant he was not in Corrigan Park for last year’s final against Dunloy and he was seldom seen in public since them.
They came from far and near to his wake on Monday and Tuesday to pay their last respects. Ulster GAA vice chairman Michael Geoghegan called at the house on Tuesday afternoon and GAA Director of Communications Alan Milton, who had got to know John during his many visits to Cushendall, even brought the Liam McCarthy Cup up from Dublin on Tuesday, where it sat on his coffin. Both gestures were greatly appreciated by all the family. Everyone who visited the house in those last couple of days had a story to tell about meeting John over the years. Everyone left a memory, but went away with so much more.
When they took him on his final journey on Wednesday morning the coffin was draped in the Ruairi flag as it was carried on high all the way to St Mary’s church, the route lined on either side by members of every team in the club, and all bedecked in their club colours. Gaels of north Antrim were represented and Antrim Hurling manager Darren Gleeson made the long journey north from his home in Tipperary to pay his respects.
Requiem mass was celebrated by Cushendall PP Fr Kieran Whiteford, who was assisted by Fr PJ McCamphill, a Dunloy native who has been a great hurling man all his life, and a great friend of the McKillop and McNaughton families. Afterwards John’s remains were interred in the adjoining ceremony, in the same grave as his mother and father, Eithne and Danny. When the Glens Choir, who had sang at the Requiem Mass, struck up the ‘Green Glens of Antrim’ at the graveside there wasn’t a dry eye in the place and when former Ruairi Og manager Philip Campbell read a poem he had had written for John, spontaneous applause broke out among the mourners.
All of us who knew John will miss him dearly but the loss will be felt most deeply by those who loved and cared for him on a daily basis. To his family Maureen (McNaughton), Seamus, Amelia, Eamon and Dion to his nephews and nieces and the extended McKillop family we offer our sincere condolences.
Thanks for memories John.
May the sandy soil of his native Cushendall rest gently on him!
