Former SDLP Chairperson and West Tyrone MLA Joe Byrne has died.
He was 72.
Mr Byrne served as MLA for West Tyrone between 1998 and 2003, and again from 2011 to 2015.
Before that, he was a member of Omagh District Council.
Party leader Claire Hanna says Joe Byrne was a key member of the SDLP delegation during the Good Friday Agreement negotiations, while locally he championed rural communities in Tyrone, continuing to play a key role in the ongoing campaign for the A5.
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Claire Hanna statement in full –
Hanna pays tribute to Joe Byrne
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP has paid tribute to former SDLP MLA and party Chairperson Joe Byrne following his passing.
Mr Byrne served as MLA for West Tyrone between 1998 and 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015. Before that, he was also a councillor on Omagh District Council.
Claire Hanna MP said:
“Joe Byrne was a giant of public service who devoted his life to the people of Tyrone, serving his community with integrity, compassion and quiet determination. He believed, deeply and genuinely that politics should always be about people.
“Joe’s political career spanned decades, from Omagh District Council to the Northern Ireland Forum to MLA for West Tyrone. Not only did he play a key role in the SDLP during the Good Friday Agreement negotiations, locally he championed rural communities and was key in the ongoing campaign for the A5. He also cared deeply about education, agriculture, and the local economy.
“Joe will leave a lasting legacy in his community in Tyrone, and it will be one of decency, fairness and hope.
“On behalf of the SDLP, I’d like to extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Ursula, children Aoife, Emer and Eoin and the entire family circle.
“Ar dheis Dé go mbeidh a anam.”
