John McKinney was given the rare honour of a service at Campbell College in east Belfast, where he was the longest serving teacher in the history of the school, which goes back to the 1890s.
Mr McKinney, who was on the staff for 43 years from 1980, when he was aged 22, to 2023, was also well known in rugby circles in Northern Ireland, and steered Campbell to four victories in the Schools Cup (the school won the trophy five times during his tenure and was a finalist another seven times – while Mr McKinney was involved in rugby for all his time as a master, he led the first XV for 25 years).
The two previous longest-serving masters had served for 42 years, until Mr McKinney broke their record in his final year. A boarding master who lived in the school all his time there, he retired to a house neighbouring the Campbell grounds – sadly to die from cancer on Boxing Day days after his 68th birthday.
The Reverend Stephen McBride, of All Saints Church of Ireland in Antrim, John McKinney’s family church, and where he sang in choir as a boy, officiated yesterday. After the service, a guard of honour made up of pupils and ex pupils, lined the driveway as the coffin was carried to the hearse, while a piper from the Campbell band played.
John McKinney was a pupil at Belfast Royal Academy, where he met the girl who would become his wife, Valerie, who walked behind the coffin yesterday with her daughter Rebecca and son James, and other family including brother William (both Rebecca and William paid tribute to Mr McKinney).
After studying at Loughborough University, John McKinney joined the Campbell staff as a geography and PE teacher. Fully involved in the day to day life of the school, he was a member of its choir all his years there.
Rev McBride said: “He also brought a sense of class and style to the classroom. Impeccably dressed, he is a walking fashion mannequin. At school he would be most comfortable in brogues, corduroy, tweed jacket and an IRFU tie – a class act which the rest of the PE department could never match!”
John McKinney’s other rugby achievements included being Ulster Schools’ Manager for 15 years and Irish Schools’ Manager for 12. The mourners yesterday, who spilled into the dining hall and sixth form centre, included the commentator Jim Neilly, and ex Ireland player, Gordon Hamilton, who was in sixth form when Mr McKinney joined.
• Ben Lowry page 11
5. John McKinney, flag at half mast
The school flag flew at half mast from the Campbell College Tower on Friday January 2 2025, for the funeral service to the former master John McKinney. Pic by Ben Lowry Photo: Ben Lowry
6. Overflow room, John McKinney
So many people turned up for the funeral for John McKinney at Campbell College on Friday January 2 2026, that hundreds of them had to stand in a spillover space in the dining hall where the service was live beamed. An estimated 250 people were in this room, and a further 150 in the sixth form centre, in addition to the 650 people in the main hall. Pic by Ben Lowry Photo: Ben Lowry
7. Rebecca's tribute to her father John McKinney
John McKinney's daughter Rebecca pays tribute to her father at his funeral service in the central hall at Campbell College in east Belfast, where Mr McKinney was a master for 43 years. The service, on Friday January 2 2026, was conducted by Rev Stephen McBride of All Saints Church of Ireland in Antrim, Mr McKinney's family church. Pic by Ben Lowry Photo: Ben Lowry
8. The gallery at Campbell College
Mourners upstairs in the central hall at Campbell College for the funeral of John McKinney, who taught there for 43 years. Pic by Ben Lowry, January 2 2026 Photo: Ben Lowry