He attended Royal Belfast Academical Institution and was a 1st XV player for four years, captaining the 1934 Ulster Schools' Cup-winning side.
[1] In 1938, McKibbin gained the first of his four Ireland caps as a 22-year old in the Home Nations match against Wales in Swansea and then won a place on the British Lions squad for that year's tour to South Africa, where he was the only back that played all three Tests.
[1] During World War II, McKibbin served with the Royal Artillery and escaped Dunkirk on the HMS Icarus in the 1941 evacuation.
[2] McKibbin, a solicitor by profession, was assistant manager for the 1962 British Lions tour to South Africa and served as president of the Irish Rugby Football Union from 1974 to 1975.
[3] In the 1976 New Year Honours, McKibbin was a recipient of the Commander of the Order of the British Empire for "services to Irish Rugby Football".