Oliver Byrne, Rest in Peace

[Gareth]

Really very sorry to have to post this:

http://www.shelbournefc.ie/news.php?id=729

[RonnieB]

RIP, never cared for him, but it was a football issue not a life issue.

[osarusan]

Rest in Peace.

[Poor Student]

My condolences to those who knew him personally.

[neville neville]

RIP Ollie.

[Ringo]

it was always about the club, not personal gain. R.I.P. Ollie

[Terry]

rest in peace

[A face]

Rest In Peace ..... In football, he wasn't on my Christmas cards shall we say but isn't that what football is about. The league was definitely more colourful and exciting with him in it and his contribution to Shels was unreal, he gave well and above the call of duty for that club. His drive and desire to push Shels to the next level raised the bar for all and we all directly benefited from that.

Didn't him personally but my condolences to all his friends and family.

[DesBoards]

Rest in Peace Ollie.

[Réiteoir]

Rest In Peace ..... In football, he wasn't on my Christmas cards shall we say but isn't that what football is about. The league was definitely more colourful and exciting with him in it and his contribution to Shels was unreal, he gave well and above the call of duty for that club. His drive and desire to push Shels to the next level raised the bar for all and we all directly benefited from that.

Didn't him personally but my condolences to all his friends and family.

Like to echo those comments.

Sure you didn't always agree with the man - but he had the guts and balls to do it.

May he finally RIP

[lofty9]

Rest in Peace. A true league of Ireland supporter, just like one of us who cared passionately about his team.

[Sam_Heggy]

R.I.P.

[Kildare Lad]

R.I.P

[Mr A]

Saddened to hear this. The man put everything he had into his club. RIP

[Battery Rover]

Really sad news. He was a true League of Ireland supporter who put everything he had into his club.

Rest in Peace

[Celdrog]

Really sad news. He was a true League of Ireland supporter who put everything he had into his club.
Rest in Peace
Sums it up perfectly. RIP Ollie

[Aaron]

R.I.P

[ramblers]

R.I.P

[Da Real Rover]

R.I.P. a real LOI character.

[Dee75]

R.I.P

[Sniffer]

RIP, a larger than life character.

[Philly]

I remember being at the Split game and seeing him go to the Shel fans at the end applauding and cheering with them, proud of his club. He gave it his all. RIP.

[Conor H]

R.I.P.

Gave his life to Shels.

[bellavistaman]

R.I.P

[carrickharp]

R.I.P

[Anto McC]

As a Shels fan, i really want to say thanks for the memories because without you, i wouldn't have them.

R.I.P.

[James]

RIP Oliver
The league has lost one of its biggest characters and personalities

[willymccann]

R.I.P

[BohDiddley]

Sad news.
Gave everything to the game. RIP.

[dcfcsteve]

Sad news indeed. Never liked the man, but that doesn't mean I'd have ever wished him ill.

A fan of EL football to the end...

[Block G Raptor]

Condolences to his family,
didn't always agree with him but hey thats life
rip

[Boh_So_Good]

This is very sad. We all knew he was ill, but I had no idea he was dying. He'll be missed by all at Shels and Dublin and Ireland will be a less colourful place with him. His devotion, although at times could be difficult to defend, he was certainly the kind of person you would want next to you in a fight on your side.

The end of an era - he was a transistion from the old half assed league to the modern professional one. His place in Irish soccer history is assured and history will look on his legacy kindly I am sure.

[pineapple stu]

The end of an era - he was a transistion from the old half assed league to the modern professional one. His place in Irish soccer history is assured and history will look on his legacy kindly I am sure.
I echo previous comments that, although I had absolutely no time for him, I certainly don't relish his demise, and sympathise fully with those who knew him at this time.

[deleted post content, continued in another thread]

RIP.

[half_full]

Put the league on the map in many ways, a true LoI supporter giving everything he had for his club. RIP

[harpstilidie]

R.I.P Ollie

[Tis-smeee]

I echo previous comments that, although I had absolutely no time for him, I certainly don't relish his demise, and sympathise fully with those who knew him at this time.

However, I don't think there's any point in posting revisionist comments like the ones above. Byrne's Shelbourne tenure was dominated by the "half assed", from accounting measures, to tax payments, to business plans. His reign at Shels has seen the club end E12m in debt, in the First Division with little hope of recovery, their ground all but gone and few plans for a new one, still losing money, up in front of the High Court again for over half a million of missing cash, has seen him bring the league into disrepute on numerous occasions, has seen Revenue launch an investigation into the entire league purely on the basis of what they found at Shels. He did nothing to bring the league forward; rather his completely unsustainable and reckless spending caused large wage inflation in the league and forced clubs to recklessly spend themselves if they were to have any hope of competing.

I disagree very strongly with the notion that any of this constitutes a move to a professional era, or that history will reflect kindly on his legacy. However, "good riddances" were said last January when he stepped aside at Shels, not now.

RIP.

At least some said it, RIP

[manic da hoop]

A sad loss to Irish football. Condolances to his family and, indeed, to everyone at Shelboune Football Club.

Our league will be a lesser place without him.

[gufcfan]

Condolences to the family and friends of a great servant of irish soccer

[A face]

However, I don't think there's any point in posting revisionist comments like the ones above. Byrne's Shelbourne tenure was dominated by the "half assed", from accounting measures, to tax payments, to business plans. His reign at Shels has seen the club end E12m in debt, in the First Division with little hope of recovery, their ground all but gone and few plans for a new one, still losing money, up in front of the High Court again for over half a million of missing cash, has seen him bring the league into disrepute on numerous occasions, has seen Revenue launch an investigation into the entire league purely on the basis of what they found at Shels. He did nothing to bring the league forward; rather his completely unsustainable and reckless spending caused large wage inflation in the league and forced clubs to recklessly spend themselves if they were to have any hope of competing.

I disagree very strongly with the notion that any of this constitutes a move to a professional era, or that history will reflect kindly on his legacy. However, "good riddances" were said last January when he stepped aside at Shels, not now.

I know what your saying there, and you're not wrong technically but i'd disagree with you overall.

Edit: Copied posts to a new thread (http://foot.ie/showthread.php?t=69185) to debate

[GuisaSaigon]

Went over to La Coruna for Shels' Champions League match a few years back, as we were going in to the stadium Ollie Byrne was at the turnstiles making sure all the Shels fans got in OK. He also made sure everyone was on all the buses after the game really struck me as man of the people not a stuck up suit like many directors of some clubs. Rest In Peace Ollie.

[sligoman]

Sad to hear this news. Loved Shels with a passion, although didn't always go the right way about it. We'd have a much stronger league if people loved their club as much as he did.

R.I.P.

[blackholesun]

RIP Ollie, spoke to him for the first time for about 10 seconds a few months ago at a Rovers game. He was in the players bar under the old stand watching the Shels scores on the teletext. Asked him how he was keeping and wished him well in his recovery. Remember him at a Rovers game last year walking out across the pitch and the Rovers fans were giving him stick about the money issues and he took it well pointing at the ground as much as to say "the land".

Theres no doubt that he was very passionate about Shels but ultimately I think he made two many decisions with the heart then the head and his fiery temper let him down at times. I remember at a NLU forum once in town he nearly lost the plot when a Derry fan was winding him up about Hutton joining Shels. He almost at one stage lost the plot and lept over the table to take it further.

But theres no doubt the league will be less interesting with him gone.

>We'd have a much stronger league if people loved their club as much as he did.

Yes Sligoman agree with you there!

RIP Ollie.

BHS

[Drumcondra Red]

RIP Ollie

[superfrank]

RIP Ollie.

[LeixlipRed]

RIP Ollie

[pete]

Sad news.

Strange how his health & that of Shels were intertwined. Seems like he really did give his life to Shels.

[Cosmo]

His devotion, although at times could be difficult to defend, he was certainly the kind of person you would want next to you in a fight on your side.

The end of an era - he was a transistion from the old half assed league to the modern professional one. His place in Irish soccer history is assured and history will look on his legacy kindly I am sure.


Sums it up perfectly for me. RIP ollie

[kilkennycat2004]

Sorry to hear this.
R.I.P. to a guy who loved the LOI a lot more than those who write about it.

[onceahoop]

RIP Ollie.

[michaelguineys]

Rest in peace