Damien Byrne, an Irish professional footballer, died on February 6, 2026.
He was 71. Byrne’s career spanned 20 seasons, during which he won player of the year awards in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the only man to do so.
He began as a forward before switching midway through his career to centre-back. He made his League of Ireland debut for Home Farm on October 12, 1973, later played for Dundalk and Drogheda United, and won League of Ireland representative honours while at Drogheda. His son, Phil Byrne, played for Carrick Rangers in the IFA Premiership.
Damien Byrne (6 April 1954 – 5 February 2026) was an Irish professional footballer. In a career spanning 20 seasons, Byrne won player of the year awards in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the only man to do so. He started his career as a forward but midway through his career switched to centre-back.