Ex-FAI boss O’Byrne to lead Basketball Ireland

FORMER FAI chief executive Bernard O’Byrne has been appointed the new head of Basketball Ireland.

O’Byrne, who was FAI chief for five years until 2011, will assume the role of Basketball Ireland general secretary next week.

Previously he held positions with Coca-Cola, Nestle Ireland and CRH, for whom he worked for 17 years.

After leaving the FAI in 2001, he formed his own business consultancy specialising in the business of sport and undertook projects in Ireland, the UK and Australia.

In 2007 he joined Citywest Hotel & Leisure Group as chief executive and subsequently acted as project consultant for Citywest Luas Limited in a major project to bring the Luas Line from The Square to Saggart village, at a cost of €40 million.

Said Mr O’Byrne: “With approximately 300,000 people being involved in Basketball throughout the country, it is somewhat of a sleeping giant in Irish sport. I am eager to get to work with all those in the basketball family to achieve the maximum potential of this national organisation.”

Basketball Ireland chairman Paul Meany added it was “a wonderful moment” to announce someone of the calibre and experience of O’Byrne in the new role.

He said: “Bernard’s extensive knowledge of business, finance and sport means he is ideally qualified to help us to establish clear priorities for our sport, based on a sound understanding of the market, and to establish a sustainable framework for the delivery of basketball at local, regional, national and international levels.”