FORMER Republic of Ireland international Tony Byrne has died at his home in Hereford at the age of 70 after a long battle with cancer.
Byrne, who came from Rathdowney in Co. Laois, was capped 14 times by his country and played the majority of his career at Southampton.
Having emigrated from Ireland to London with his parents at the age of 12, legend has it that the young hurling player had never even kicked a ball until his move to England.
A natural sportsman, he had signed his first professional contract at Millwall by the age of 16, but he would make his breakthrough with the Saints, making his league debut against Manchester United in Old Trafford in 1967.
He went on to forge an international career during his decade at The Dell having turned out 114 times for Southampton. He then moved to Hereford before finishing his career at Newport County.
Speaking to The Irish Post, his son Sean said his father was “modest” and that it was “ironic” that the former Republic of Ireland defender should pass on the day of his country’s opening game at Euro 2016.
“He was a very modest and very private man,” he said. “I’ve been discovering a lot of things about him that I never knew myself because he never spoke much about his experiences.
“I’m very proud of his achievements, but I’d never even looked at his Wikipedia page until he died, which is bizarre given the career he had. He never made much of his past.
Sean is a professional golfer by trade and admits he’s had to blow his own trumpet to further his own career, something that never came naturally to his father.
“You would never have known he was an international footballer but I suppose it was different in his days as well, they never got the huge sums of money that they do now," said Sean.
“He was quite a tough man and was always trying to get me into boxing, but that was never going to happen, I think I’ll still stick with the golf.”
Meanwhile, FAI CEO John Delaney paid tribute to Byrne, saying: “I was saddened to hear of Tony Byrne’s passing. He was an excellent servant for the national team at a time when it wasn’t glamorous to do so.
“His journey from Rathdowney in Co Laois to become a professional footballer was a remarkable story in its own right. We were delighted that he attended the gathering of the former international players at Croke Park in 2007. Our sympathies go to his family and friends. We will pay tribute to him at our next home international.”
