Shane Byrne
Encyclopedia
James Shane Byrne is a former Irish
rugby union
hooker. He is nicknamed 'Munch' or 'Mullet' (a reference to his hair style).
A native of Aughrim
, County Wicklow
, Byrne played Gaelic football
up to under-16 level with the local Aughrim club. He attended Blackrock College
in Dublin, the Alma mater of many Irish greats.
Byrne is a director with Arklow Waste Disposal, his family business. He is also head of operations for Focus International Property.
Byrne is married to Caroline (a native of Co. Monaghan) and has twin girls Alex and Kerry.
He plied his trade for many years at Leinster
. His international career started comparatively late and did not blossom until the retirement of Keith Wood
. When he eventually got his chance in a World Cup qualifier in Romania he took it and thereafter became a fixture in the national side.
In 2005 he was selected for the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
and played in the first and third tests. Byrne has scored a total of three tries for his country, scoring tow of those in one match against Wales during the 2004 Six Nations
series.
Following the Lions tour his contract talks with Leinster
were inconclusive and he joined Saracens
in the summer of 2005 for two years, before returning to Ireland.
Byrne participated in a Charity You're A Star
edition on RTÉ in the Helix, DCU. His chosen charity was GOAL, an Irish founded charity group.
In June 2008, Byrne revived his GAA
career with the local Aughrim club after a 17-year lapse, lining out at centre-back in a Wicklow junior ’C’ league game against Coolkenno. His switch to the full-forward position did not stop Aughrim from crashing to a heavy defeat.
In June 2010 Byrne announced his involvement in RuckingBall.com, an online community for the development of school-boy rugby, coaches and parents.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
hooker. He is nicknamed 'Munch' or 'Mullet' (a reference to his hair style).
A native of Aughrim
Aughrim, County Wicklow
Aughrim is a small town in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies in a scenic valley in the east of Ireland where the Ow and Derry rivers meet to form the Aughrim river...
, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Byrne played Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
up to under-16 level with the local Aughrim club. He attended Blackrock College
Blackrock College
Blackrock College is a Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys aged 14–18, located in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. The College was founded by French missionaries in 1860, to act as a school and civil service training centre. Set in of grounds, it has an illustrious...
in Dublin, the Alma mater of many Irish greats.
Byrne is a director with Arklow Waste Disposal, his family business. He is also head of operations for Focus International Property.
Byrne is married to Caroline (a native of Co. Monaghan) and has twin girls Alex and Kerry.
He plied his trade for many years at Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
. His international career started comparatively late and did not blossom until the retirement of Keith Wood
Keith Wood
Keith Gerard Mallinson Wood and educated at St Munchin's College, Limerick is a former international rugby union footballer who played hooker for Ireland, the Lions, Garryowen, Harlequins and Munster....
. When he eventually got his chance in a World Cup qualifier in Romania he took it and thereafter became a fixture in the national side.
In 2005 he was selected for the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
In 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
and played in the first and third tests. Byrne has scored a total of three tries for his country, scoring tow of those in one match against Wales during the 2004 Six Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
series.
Following the Lions tour his contract talks with Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
were inconclusive and he joined Saracens
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
in the summer of 2005 for two years, before returning to Ireland.
Byrne participated in a Charity You're A Star
Charity You're A Star
Charity You're a Star is a talent contest created by Radio Telefís Éireann, where various Irish celebrities sing to raise money for the charity of their choice...
edition on RTÉ in the Helix, DCU. His chosen charity was GOAL, an Irish founded charity group.
In June 2008, Byrne revived his GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
career with the local Aughrim club after a 17-year lapse, lining out at centre-back in a Wicklow junior ’C’ league game against Coolkenno. His switch to the full-forward position did not stop Aughrim from crashing to a heavy defeat.
In June 2010 Byrne announced his involvement in RuckingBall.com, an online community for the development of school-boy rugby, coaches and parents.