Byrne, Michael
October 13, 2013
'The most brilliant half-back Kildare has produced...'?
Michael Byrne RIP
Born 2 January 1925 Died 21 September 2013
A native of Kildare town, Michael Byrne passed on in September last. He represented Kildare at Club level (Round Towers), at county level - playing 57 times over 15 years - and at Inter-Provincial level when he played with the winning Leinster team in 1952.
In 2009, at the Round Towers Reunion for the 1959 SFC Championship Winning Team, Mick Leavy (captain) commented that Michael Byrne was 'one of the best footballers he ever saw'. Michael had been a key outfield player for the Towers in the '54 and '57 campaigns, with a magnificent career spreading over three decades - the '40s, '50s and '60s.
Reading through the clippings, over those years, his versatility as a player is evident. For the Leinster SFC Final of 1946 (against Laois); the match programme penned him as the sharpshooter - "M. Byrne (Winger) the sharpshooter of the side- his score sheet is always big: can move fast in any company. Great to play for position and deadly accurate when he seizes on those chance vacancies that defenders always leave".
Scroll on eight years later to the Kildare GAA County SFC Final in 1954 (Round Towers beating Carbury) and the match report comments - "M.Byrne. This player needs no introduction to Kildare Gaels. With Joe Bourke and 'Boiler' White he is in the premier place as an all-round footballer"
His skill as a footballer was matched by his conduct on the field of play. In the county final of 1957 (against Kilcock) here's how his conduct was described- "Michael Byrne: Need one say a word about Mickey. He has endeared himself to all Gaels in the county by his sportsmanship and courtesy in the most trying situations and his displays with the 'All Whites' when he was a member of the county team evoke many happy memories"
By 1959, and county final against Clane, he had turned to goalkeeping and judging from a poem published in the newspaper, he was pretty good in that position as well:
'Twas Michael Byrne saved the net
As he often did before
With many a brilliant clearance
When it seemed a certain score
And so to that match review poser (of the Kildare v Louth Leinster SFC Final of 1953) " One has held up Jack Higgins as the most brilliant half-back Kildare has produced; M. Byrne bids fair to rival Higgins for this great honour"
Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. But Michael is sadly missed and fondly remembered by his wife, Patricia, daughters Molly and Caroline and son, Greg.
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