Officers
Chief Administrator (Seneschal) – Derek Byrne KLJ, B.A. (hons), M.Phil., M.Sc., PG. Cert., CR, FINS., O’ Byrnes of Downes – Guardian of the Name, Knight of the Order of Saint Lazarus, Medal of Merit Royal Georgian Order, Companion of the Raven, Fellow of the International Napoleonic Society, Medal of Honour of the International Napoleonic Society.
Born in Dublin in 1965, Derek was educated at Dublin City University, Oxford University and Trinity College Dublin. He is an avid collector of contemporary and modern Irish art. Derek is an Academic and Journalist who lives and works in Dublin. He is a founding member and President of The Napoleon Society of Ireland.
Derek was the official representative in Ireland of Lt.-Col. Charles Artaud Byrne “best claim hereditary Chief” of Gabhal Raghnaill until his death in March 2020.
Derek represents the Cloncurry and Kilcock line of the Byrne Clan which current evidence suggests, descend from the Byrnes of Clonmore Castle and Cahir, last Chief of the O’Byrnes of Downes. The family boast links to Myles Byrne of Monaseed and have an ancestor (James Byrne) who was executed with Robert Emmet in 1803, thus the Napoleonic interest.
Derek is also a direct descendant of the Rt. Hon. Francis Agard (1529 – 1577) on his mother’s side. Francis was appointed Seneschal of Clan OByrne in 1566 providing Derek with a unique historical connection to his Byrne history from both his parents. Derek is also a member of the Alter Server’s Guild at Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin where Agard is buried in the south trancept beside the chapel of St. Lawrence O’Toole, Patron Saint of Clan O’Byrne.
In 2020 Derek was a candidate for the Irish Senate on the Dublin University TCD panel. A comprehensive history of Derek’s family line is included in volume 3 of The Byrnes and The O’Byrnes.| email – derek@derekbyrne.ie
Derek Byrne KLJ, M.Sc., CR, FINS.
Chaplain to Finte O’Broin – The Reverend William David Byrne, CR.
After many years working in the glamour of the entertainment promotions and fashion industries in London, David, as he is known to his friends, embraced an entirely new way of life by becoming a Roman Catholic Priest. Having completed Philosophy and Theology Studies at the Jesuit Institute at Miltown Park, Ranalagh in Dublin, he transferred to the Saint Michael’s College Master of Divinities Programme at the University of Toronto. David was ordained on the 2nd of July 1988 at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy in Artane, Dublin where he spent his formative years. He is a member of the presbyterate of the Diocese of Saint Catharine’s, Ontario in Canada. David holds both Irish and Canadian Citizenship and is a permanent resident of the United States where he now works as a chaplain for the Mayo Clinic hospitals in Rochester, Minnesota. David is a descendant of the Byrnes of Carnew, Co. Wicklow and manages to get home to Ireland about three or four times a year. His personal interests are in the theatre, ballet and Irish dancing. Email – david@clanbyrne.com
The Rev. William David Byrne, CR.
Researcher/Genealogist – Edward Byrne Jnr., CR.
Edward lives in Dublin where he operates his own transport company delivering throughout Kildare and Meath. A descendant of the Byrnes of Cloncurry, Kilcock and Cloncmore, Edward is the lead organiser of the annual charity walk which has raised over 40 thousand euro for charitable causes since it’s inception in 2012. He was awarded the Clan Medal of Merit for his success in raising funds for charity and in doing so, brining merit to the Byrne name.
Edward is a leading member of the Glasnevin Genealogical Society and has taken part in a number of public events organised by the group. As a young man he represented Ireland when, in 1984, he played for the National football team Under 16′s. He is an avid researcher and is planning to embark on formal studies in genealogy. Edward has contributed to Volume 3 of The Byrnes and The O Byrnes and continues to organise events to raise much needed funds for charity. Edward is very happy to assist those researching their Byrne family history. | email Edward.
David Byrne
David works and lives in Dublin with his wife Collette and three children. A descendant of the Byrnes of Cloncurry, Kilcock and Clonmore, David has been an active member of the Finte O’Byrne team since the establishment of the organisation in 2011 most notably as a lead organiser and fundraiser on the annual charity walk which has raised over 40 thousand euro for a variety of causes.
David is a successful businessman in his own right and as such, was also part of the team which organised the Byrne Clan Gathering at the Ballinacor estate as part of the Great Gathering of 2013. It was here that he met and presented his son Shane to our late Patron, Lt. Col. Charles Artaud Byrne.
INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
AUSTRALIA
Patsy Lunderg-Day
Patsy lives in Brisbane, Australia where she works as a portrait artist. She is a descendant of the famous Hugh “Vesty” Byrne. Patsy and her extended family in Australia have been hard at work researching their family tree and their connections to the 1798 rebellion.
Patsy Lundberg-Day
SPAIN
O’Broin Oige, International Youth Co-ordinator
Xander Byrne – Xander is the second generation of his family to live in Spain. His family left Rathnew in Wicklow in the early part of the 2oth century and the family spent time in London bofore moving to Spain. Today Xander lives and works in the provence of Andalucia in the South of Spain. He is very interested in his Byrne heritage and is now the official representative of Clan O’Byrne of Leinster in Spain.
Xander Byrne.
For further details go to O’Broin Oige in our “Related Projects” section.
CANADA
Dustan Byrnes
Dustan Byrnes is a third-generation Irish-Canadian, born, raised and remaining in Calgary Alberta Canada. Dustan completed his bachelors degree in Criminal Justice at Mount Royal College (University) in Calgary, including a semester European Study Tour which provided him opportunity to tour throughout western Europe, including back to his ancestral homeland, Ireland. Dustan volunteered for the police service throughout his college education and immediately began his career as a sworn Officer for the Provincial Government, working in forensic technologies and other areas such as consumer protection and maintaining the integrity of critical databases and systems. In 2018, Dustan was promoted to Assistant Director of the Special Investigations Unit, and continues in this employment, overseeing investigations throughout the southern region of the province. Dustan has a beautiful wife, two wonderful children, and his twin sister and parents also reside in Calgary.
Growing up on the footsteps of the Rocky Mountains, Dustan is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys sports, especially hockey. Dustan has great interest in tracing his Byrne lineage back generations, including back to the 1800’s when his ancestors immigrated from Co. Armagh to Philadelphia USA and into Canada; it was at this time that the family surname of Byrne was changed to Byrnes. One of Dustan’s ancestors is commemorated in a historical park in Edmonton Canada as an incredibly successful entrepreneur and voyager. Dustan’s Grandfather is one of 13 children born in northwestern Ontario Canada into the Byrnes name, resulting in the Byrnes name being spread throughout Canada from this lineage.
Dustan is excited for the opportunity to be a Finte O’Broin Representative to connect with and be a point of contact for Byrne family within Canada and elsewhere.
Dustan Byrnes