Sarah Ledden | Staff Writer
As Brian O’Driscoll, the most capped International rugby player of all time, prepared to play his last International game in Paris last weekend, his career became the focus of national discussion. He was recognised even beyond the international rugby community, gaining acknowledgement and encouragement from the President of the United States, Barack Obama, an event in which Trinity student Jack Cantillon played a key role.
In his St Patrick’s Day address at the annual Shamrock Conference in the White House, Barack Obama thanked the Irish audience for choosing to be present in Washington in place of supporting Ireland in their final game of the Six Nations campaign and “the last match of the legendary Brian O’Driscoll”. This was the result of Cantillon advising one of Obama’s speech-writers to include a mention of this momentous occasion.
Cantillon, who spent last summer interning in Capitol Hill through the Washington Irish Program, was contacted by President Obama’s deputy head speech-writer, Kyle O’Connor, seeking consultation on current topical issues in Ireland that would be appropriate for Obama to address in his speech.
Cantillon informed O’Connor of O’Driscoll’s contribution to Irish sport and Ireland’s then-forthcoming closing Six Nations match, advising him that mention of O’Driscoll would “show particular nous”. The Trinity student had initially made contact with O’Connor during his time working in Capitol Hill.
Cantillon said he was “surprised when he [Kyle O’Connor] reached out before Obama’s speech. As a big rugby fan, I suggested Brian O’Driscoll’s last cap and somehow he latched on to it”.
Reflecting on the experience, Cantillon remarked to The University Times that “it was pretty mad to play a role in getting one of your idols mentioned in a speech by a US President. I won’t forget it.” Speaking about the reaction to O’Driscoll’s mention, Cantillon concluded that he “thinks the reaction was more reflective of our love of BOD and Obama than any role I had to play.”
