WHEN Joe Byrne decided to contest the election of Hurling Board Chairman late last year, he sat down and composed a comprehensive document outlining his vision for Galway hurling. Then, he printed it off and sent a copy to each and every club in the county. This was Byrne’s statement of intent.

It may still be the honeymoon period of his reign, but Byrne has already come across as a man with fresh ideas. A man who is organised and professional. A man full of energy and follow through. Simply, a man with innate leadership qualities.

No doubt, Galway has had its fair share of controversies in recent times – many dissected forensically in the national media – but Byrne is unperturbed. He is positive by nature and like any eternal optimist he looks to the future with a great deal of hope in his heart.

“There has to be trust and respect between every stakeholder in Galway hurling,” says Byrne. “That we all trust each other and respect each other. If you have that, you have a great chance of moving forward. If you don’t have those, you will never achieve anything. I think we are getting there at the moment. Everyone is working very hard together.”

One suspects, though, that was the manner in which Joe was raised. A son of the late Toddie Byrne – a true Gael, who held many positions in Galway GAA, including Hurling Board Treasurer – and Grainne Quinn, he comes from a selfless family seeped in GAA and volunteerism. Indeed, his uncle Mick Quinn has held a myriad of positions in Athenry GAA club over the years, while Byrne also has strong links with Ardrahan Hurling Club through his aunt Maura Fahy.
Byrne, himself, grew up in a house with five brothers – Anthony, Garrett, Francis, Ronan and Niall – and two sisters, Mary and Deirdre, both of whom live in France. Not surprisingly, hurling was not just the sport of choice, but a way of life. Still is, with Anthony lining out regularly in the club colours and Garrett holding the post of Club Treasurer. Francis is secretary of Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry’s Juvenile Club.

As for Joe, he has given as much on the hurling field as he has in the corridors of power. At the age of 15 – while still claiming provincial silverware with Our Lady’s College, Gort – he served as club secretary, before going on to hold a myriad of positions in later years. Indeed, in the five years previous to his current appointment, he held the post of Kinvara’s Club Chairman.

Meanwhile, on the field, Joe represented both club and county with distinction. He was selected on the Galway minor panel of ‘81 and lined out alongside the likes of Pete Finnerty, Pat Malone, Gerry McInerney and Anthony Cunningham on the side that lost the All-Ireland minor final to Kilkenny on a scoreline of 2-7 to 0-4 in ‘82.
 

He subsequently attended UCG and hurled three years in the Fitzgibbon Cup, losing finals to UCC in ’83 and ’85 – he was vice captain of the team in the latter – and a semi-final to the same opposition in ’84. This was an era when UCC dominated the competition, winning eight titles in a row (1981 and ’88). Byrne was delighted to be selected on the Combined Universities team of ’85.
As for senior hurling, Byrne never made it with the county. The centre-back stroke midfielder did wear the maroon and white on occasion – in tournament and challenge games – but this, of course, was the great Galway side of the late ‘80s, boasting of superb defenders like Finnerty, McInerney and the great Tony Keady. In any event, Byrne’s working career with Sisk, of which he is now Regional Director, took precedence.

Now, though, Byrne has the opportunity to play a key role in returning the county to the top table of hurling. He may not get to strike a ball out on the hallowed turf of Croke Park in anger, but his infectious enthusiasm will be a vital component in any future success at senior level.

As he wrote in his letter to the clubs prior to his election back in December: “We have excellent minors who must become excellent seniors; if we want to aspire to the success we all long for.”
To this end, one of the initiatives Byrne is spearheading is a hurling development programme that seeks to prepare potential inter-county players by offering them specified coaching. “I am every enthusiastic about that,” says the Chairman.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.