A native of Dublin, who established the World Rugby Classic in Bermuda and undertook significant charity fundraising, has been awarded an MBE by Prince Charles in Buckingham Palace.
John Kane, honorary consul of Ireland in Bermuda and president of the World Rugby Classic briefly returned to Dublin last weekend for Ireland's rugby match against Scotland at Lansdowne Road but confessed he had remained silent on his imminent award.
"I didn't go shouting about it on the streets," Mr Kane told The Irish Times.
In the absence of Queen Elizabeth who is on an official visit to Australia, Prince Charles invested an MBE on Mr Kane and asked if he was now living in Ireland or fleeing hurricanes in Bermuda.
Mr Kane learned of his MBE award last November before his name was officially published in the new year's honours list.
Buckingham Palace's nominations unit yesterday confirmed that Mr Kane had been honoured for his services to rugby and golf in Bermuda.
"I went to Bermuda shortly after I got married for what was supposed to be two years, but two years turned into 35 years," Mr Kane added.
Mr Kane, who is originally from Sandycove in Dublin, returns to Ireland four times every year to visit his brother, sister and youngest son here.
The Bermuda Rugby Classic established by Mr Kane includes national teams of former international players from across the world and has become Bermuda's biggest annual sporting event.
Ireland's honorary consul has also served as chairman of the International Golf Tournament that has raised more than €500,000 for medical research for children and Crumlin hospital some years ago.
Having instilled Bermuda with a love for rugby, the task of establishing cricket as a crowd-pulling event begins next month.