LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago

JOANNA BYRNE INSISTS she has no intention of resigning her position as co-chairperson of Drogheda United.

The owners of the League of Ireland club confirmed earlier today that they have issued a written instruction demanding she step down.

A statement from US investment firm Trivela Group stated that the decision was not taken “in any way on the basis of Ms Byrne’s political views or beliefs” but instead said that there was “a breakdown in trust” following “a statement made regarding private discussions with club ownership.”

In February, Byrne claimed that the board had said her position was untenable following her calls for a boycott of the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League games with Israel.

Byrne, the Sinn Féin TD for Louth and the party’s spokesperson on sport, said last month that the club’s board informed her of their concerns “with an expectation that I would resign, something I have told them that I intend to resist”.

At the time, Byrne described the board’s move as “unwarranted” and “profoundly hurtful” while Drogheda responded with a statement of their own insisting that “no changes have been made to the club’s board [and that] the concerns expressed to Ms Byrne by her fellow directors are unrelated to anyone’s specific political or moral views, and at no point were any such concerns expressed.”

Trivela maintained today that Byrne must now resign while she has also issued a more detailed statement after initially admitting she was “heartbroken” by the situation.

“Today’s developments are deeply emotive for me and quite upsetting. That said, they are not surprising. This is nothing more than a formal follow-on by Trivela Group from the meeting on 16th February where expectations for me to resign were expressed after I was told my position as Chairperson was untenable. I stated at that stage I would not resign and that remains my position today.

“I am under no illusion that this is solely as a result of my comments in my capacity as Sinn Féin spokesperson on sport that the Ireland-Israel match should not go ahead, and I think people will see it for what it is.

“I will now consider the options open to me and proceed from there.”

In their statement, Trivela Group said: “Trivela Group can confirm that it has, pursuant to its authority under her service agreement with Drogheda Utd FC Limited, provided written instruction requiring Joanna Byrne to resign from her position as director and co-chair.

“We thank Ms Byrne for her service to Drogheda United and for the time and effort she devoted to the Club during her tenure as a director and co-chair.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this decision was not taken in any way on the basis of Ms Byrne’s political views or beliefs, which she has expressed freely and in a public manner for the duration of her directorship. Rather, this decision followed a statement made regarding private discussions with Club ownership. This not only caused a breakdown in the trust and confidence necessary for her to continue in the role as a director of the Club, but also sharpened the governance concerns that had been the topic of those original discussions.

“Furthermore, these matters have triggered an internal review at Trivela regarding the practicality of having an individual with political obligations simultaneously serve as a director of a football club. That review concluded that this is not a workable arrangement and should have been addressed previously.

“Once again, we honor Ms Byrne’s service to the club over the years and thank her for her longstanding and ongoing commitment to its success. We hope to move forward from this matter, jointly unwavering in our support for the football club and the broader Drogheda community.

“An interim director will be appointed in due course. No further comment will be made at this time.”