By 
ONE of the foremost politicians in West Tyrone who was among the very first people elected to the new Stormont Assembly following the Good Friday Agreement has died aged in his early seventies.
Joe Byrne, who was a former lecturer in Business Studies at the Omagh College of Further Education, passed away late on Tuesday night. He had lived at St Mary’s Road in Killyclogher, and had lived with Parkinson’s disease for some years.
Tributes have been paid to his contribution at a critical time in the north, and his work on issues including the retention of acute services at the Tyrone County Hospital, the construction of the A5, and the Environment will be remembered.
West Tyrone MLA, Daniel McCrossan, who succeeded him as Assembly member, described him as ‘a giant of public service.’
“Joe devoted his life to the people of Tyrone and to the promise that politics could transform lives for the better. He lived by the mantra of his friend and colleague, Seamus Mallon, that the first rule of politics is to be there for the people,” Mr McCrossan said.
“Joe embodied that rule every single day. Whether in council chambers, on the Assembly floor, or at a neighbour’s kitchen table, he showed up.
He listened. He cared. And he worked tirelessly to find solutions that improved the lives of others.
“Joe was more than a public representative: he was a mentor, a friend, and a constant source of guidance and encouragement. He brought me into politics. He had time for young people, time to listen, time to advise, and time to share the wisdom he had earned through years of service.
“His style was always the same: calm, considered, practical, solution focused. He had a remarkable ability to cut through noise and get to the heart of an issue.”
“We mourn the loss of a colleague, a mentor, a peacemaker, and a friend. But we also celebrate the legacy he leaves behind: a lifetime of service, a reputation for honesty and decency, and a belief that politics, at its best, can lift people up.
“Joe Byrne stood for the very best of us. And his example will continue to guide us for many years to come.”
First elected to Omagh District Council in 1993, he became Vice-Chair in
1994 and Council Chair in 1997. He was then elected as an MLA for West Tyrone in the first Stormont Assembly in 1998, serving in that role until 10 years ago.
The Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Barry McElduff, said he had last spoken with Mr Byrne in the summer and always found him ‘polite, friendly and very well informed.’
“As a long standing public representative at both Council and Assembly level, Joe was strong in his convictions and represented our community sincerely.
“He had a great understanding of business and the economy in particular.
We coined the name ‘Team West Tyrone’ for our group of MLAs when combining on priority local issues and Joe was integral to that work.”
