Great article from John O’Connor, former Director of Rugby at Cashel RFC on his visit to Eaton Park last Saturday and his meeting and connection with Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ.
As a club, feedback such as this is always greatly appreciated and we hope to welcome both Bishop Alan and John back to the club in future.
‘A circle of warmth’
Alan McGuckian SJ and John O’Connor were born in the same town, in the same hospital, in the same year. Alan went on to become a Jesuit and a Bishop. John went to a Jesuit school in London, and became a businessman involved in renewable energy road fuels and a racehorse breeder and owner. Last Saturday, 1 March 2025, at John’s instigation, the two men returned to their native home where some special stories unfolded. Read John O’Connor’s account below.
A Tale of Two Families
Last year when I attended the match in Ballymena between Ballymena RFC and my own club Cashel I was invited to come back for this season’s renewal. Not only that but I was also told I could bring a friend. I‘m sure that my kind hosts thought that I would be bringing a fellow inhabitant of the premier county up to the beautiful Glens of Antrim. Not so.
Instead I approached a man born in the same town, same hospital and same year as myself – Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ. Ballymena-born as was I, Bishop Alan accepted the invitation and we met up last Saturday morning prior to this AIL Division 2A match. I knew before we met up that there was bound to be some family history between our families (my mother’s people were called Ward from Ballymena). If nothing else my Aunt Elsie was the maternity nurse in an area which covered Cloughmills where the McGuckians came from. But I was astounded to discover that Bishop Alan’s grandfather and mine had been colleagues over 100 years ago.
We drove out through the town to Eaton Park, passed the chapel where my parents married and I was christened, and the bishop was attending the following morning. It was a lovely spring day and an important day for both clubs. Ballymena needed to win or get something out of the game at least to avoid getting sucked into a relegation dogfight. Cashel needed the win to maintain their top 4 placing and stay in the hunt for promotion. So a lot at stake.
Prior to the match, Magheramorne Estate who were match sponsors, had put on a fine lunch for nearly 200 people. Bishop Alan said grace. It was also noted with some humour that he had underlined his support for Ballymena by turning up in their traditional black shirt with a white collar. And they are a club worthy of support. Not yet returned to their former glory days when they produced Irish Internationals and British and Irish Lions in large numbers. Nevertheless they are an open, cross-community club who offer a friendly environment to any young men and women wanting to enjoy the sport and the camaraderie for which is known.
Clearly before, during, and after lunch, people of all denominations, recognised and engaged with Bishop Alan on a multitude of topics. One of my Ballymena friends must have bent his ear for half an hour on the subject of dairy farming and the Bishop was not found wanting for expertise. He had time for everyone and it was great to see how people responded to him. He was a Glensman in the midst of his own people and the fondness and admiration that people showed him was palpable. As one of my Ballymena friends said to me “The McGuckian family have created a circle of warmth in this part of the world. This visit has just added to it “.
Bishop Alan is perhaps more of a hurling man than rugby but a teaching post at Clongowes Wood College would have ensured he had a pretty good understanding of the game. Willie John Mc Bride and Bishop Alan were seen before the game trying to work out a successful game plan for Ballymena.
Sadly for Ballymena it was not to be. After a dominating start they ran out of gas and Cashel pulled away to win comfortably. Cashel move up to second place in the division. Ballymena drop to second bottom with three difficult games ahead of them.
In his relatively new job as Bishop of Down and Connor Bishop Alan has a number of great rugby clubs in his diocese. He will wish them all well. But I suspect one in particular will be primus inter pares.
John O’Connor
Ex Director of Rugby at Cashel RFC
Ballymena-born former pupil (and 1st captain!) of St Ignatius College SJ, London.
