Emma Byrne: First Irish Female Football Hall of Fame Inductee

March 17th is in our rear view mirror but it doesn’t mean that we should stop talking about awesome Irish things. The holiday shines a spotlight to the people and events that we may not be aware of otherwise. And for this, we thank St. Patrick’s Day. Without it, it may have taken us all longer — or never at all — to know the tale of Emma Byrne and how she became the first female Irish Football Hall of Fame inductee.

Emma Byrne’s career actually started out with a St. Patrick. That is, St. Patrick in the Dublin Women’s Soccer League. Byrne got her start a goalkeeper with the club when she was a schoolgirl. Before long, she was playing professionally in the Danish league for Fortuna Hjorring. After one year, a young Byrne was homesick. She returned to Ireland and stepped away from pro soccer for a desk job at the Irish Health Board.

Then Arsenal came calling. In 2000, the Gunners’ first choice keeper went down with injury. Arsenal’s Irish midfielder Ciara Grant was quick to tell her manager about the shot-stopping abilities of a certain 6’0 tall secretary. Byrne was back. She officially joined Arsenal in 2000 and went on to have a historic 16 years at the club. During her stint, she won a lot of hardware. Her accolades include a domestic treble (the three major trophies up for grabs in England) as well as the 2007 UEFA Women’s Champions League.

In addition to being a legend for her club, Byrne also cemented quite a legacy on the international stage. She holds the record for most caps for the Irish women’s national team. She made her debut as a bright-eyed 17-year-old in 1996 and went onto make 134 appearances for her country.

Off the field, Byrne was on the frontlines of a player revolt in 2017. The protest helped to secure better working conditions for Ireland’s women’s team.

Earlier this month, Byrne was honored for her impact on the Irish game. She was inducted into the Football Association of Ireland’s Hall of Fame for her fantastic playing career and work as a role model. Byrne becomes the first women to achieve this honor, paving the way for others to come, as she has done her whole life.

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