Pilot Brian’s precious cargo was the REAL World Cup!
MONASTERBOICE PILOT BRIAN MCGOVERN SPENT A MONTH FLYING THE WORLD CUP THROUGHOUT AFRICA AS PART OF A UNIQUE TOUR. HUBERT MURPHY MET HIM
HE has flown the star names from Chelsea and Liverpool to big European games this season, but local pilot Brian McGovern has just returned from his biggest sporting assignment - taking the World Cup on a tour of Africa.
The Monasterboice man is a pilot with Titan Airways and travelled to places like Dubai, Sudan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Cape Town, Lagos, and Mozambique with the World Cup as part of a promotional tour.
And he enjoyed every minute of the fantastic adventure.
He admits the African trip was quite remarkable as he flew from country to country - 15 in total - to show off the trophy.
NOT in a lifetime would many of us see Dubai, Sudan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Cape Town, Lagos, Mozambique - but one Monasterboice man got to see the lot - and more - in the space of a hectic month and not only that - he had a friend with him - the actual World Cup. First Officer Brian McGovern (37) had the task of flying the priceless trophy throughout Africa as part of a Coca- Cola sponsored tour.
And he enjoyed every minute of it! Brian has been working with Titan Airways for just a year and in that time has managed to not only get close up and personal with the world’s most famous trophy - but he’s rubbed shoulders with such as Hazard, Willian, Febregas, Pedro, Mane, Milner, Can and Jurgen Klopp.
Chatting as he arrived back from his World Cup odyssey, he says he had to fly a couple of teams to big European games recently - namely the Chelsea and Liverpool squads.
‘I am a Liverpool fan,’ he quickly added.
But he admits the African adventure was quite remarkable as he flew from country to country - 15 in total - to show off the trophy.
‘Flying in to Cape Town was great and
IT IS KEPT IN A SPECIAL GLASS CASE AND THEY SAY THAT ONLY PLAYERS WHO HAVE WON IT CAN TOUCH THE ACTUAL TROPHY
the peoplel were so ffriendlyidl everywhere h we went,’ he stated. ‘Kenya was also a lovely place.
Brian and his special cargo enjoyed top hospitality wherever they went, met by top political figures as well as thje general public who queued up for hours to get their picture.
‘It was a great chance for the public to see the trophy and they appreciated it.
‘ The cup is only going to countries that qualified so unfortunately we won’t see it.’
Indeed, Brian is probably the only Irishman who will even get near it this year!
‘It is kept in a special glass case and they say that only players who have won it can touch the actual trophy.’
Brian’s trip to Africa was another adventure in a varied career that literally only took off two years ago.
A son of Tom and Mimi McGovern (McGovern’s garage at Killineer) , he worked in various jobs around the area - including his dad’s garage and BD - before setting off to live the dream.
He took flying lessons at Weston airfield and then made his way to the USA and Norway to take his exams and when he qualified, joined Titan in the UK.
Now based at Stansted, he flys to various destinations, from holiday charters to the Royal Mail, in and out of Belfast, on a regular basis.
For the moment, he’ll have his feet on the ground as he recovers from the thrill of Africa, but this week takes to the air again.