BELFAST, United Kingdom: Stars of Irish rugby past and present paid tribute to the man considered to be Ireland’s greatest player during a memorial service for the late Jack Kyle in Belfast on Tuesday.

Kyle, who died aged 88 last week, was in 2002 voted the best rugby player ever to come from the island of Ireland beating the likes of Willie John McBride, Mike Gibson and Brian O’Driscoll, who was yet to reach his peak, to the honour.

Kyle, a fly-half, won 46 caps for Ireland, as well as six for the British and Irish Lions, and was a key figure in Ireland’s Grand Slam in the then Five Nations in 1948.

He also was present in Cardiff in 2009 when a team led by O’Driscoll ended the country’s 61-year wait to repeat the achievement.

Away from rugby, Belfast-born Kyle spent over 30 years working as a surgeon in Zambia.

Following Wednesday’s service for Kyle, who was buried at a private family funeral earlier in the day, McBride, the captain of the celebrated unbeaten 1974 Lions side in South Africa, said: “He was one of the great men.

“How do you define ‘gentleman’. Well, for me it is two words and those are ‘Jack Kyle’,” the legendary lock added.

“He was just one of the great men of this world and I am just proud I had him as a friend.”

Meanwhile centre great Gibson, himself described as the best player to come to New Zealand after the Lions’ 1971 series win over the All Blacks, said there was no doubting Kyle deserved his status as Ireland’s best player of all time.

“Unfortunately I didn’t see him when he was at his prime, but I don’t think there would be many people arguing with that assessment,” he said.

“I was with Jack at a dinner when he was named as the best player ever produced by Ireland and he felt embarrassed by it, he felt humbled by it — but that was the nature of the man.”

Among those who also attended the thanksgiving service were Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and 1972 Olympic gold medallist Mary Peters, as well as Ireland and Lions great Syd Millar, together with present-day Ulster and Ireland stars such as Tommy Bowe and Rory Best.

After Kyle’s daughter Justine read a lesson during the service, his son, Caleb, thanked all those who had sent condolences in the days since his father’s death.

“Over the last few days we feel we have been cradled in the arms of the people of Ireland and beyond,” Caleb Kyle said.

“From that we have drawn immeasurable strength.”