Drogheda United’s owners, Trivela Group, have confirmed that Joanna Byrne has been removed as a director of the club, bringing a protracted dispute to a conclusion shaped largely by the ownership structure and board dynamics.
In a statement issued on Monday morning, the US-based investment firm said the decision was made under its authority as sole shareholder of the League of Ireland club. Byrne, who had served as co-chairperson, was thanked for her “longstanding and ongoing dedication” to Drogheda United.
Trivela also confirmed a restructured board, now comprising Benjamin Boycott, Marc Koretzky, Barton Lee, and club CEO Rian Wogan. Boycott will act as sole chairperson for the time being, with plans to appoint a local director and co-chair in due course.
“Trivela Group can confirm that, pursuant to its authority as sole shareholder of Drogheda United FC, Joanna Byrne has been removed by Trivela Group as a director of the Club,” the statement read.
The development follows a public disagreement between Byrne and the club’s majority owners. Last week, Byrne had insisted she would not resign despite receiving a written instruction from Trivela to step down, a position that set up an impasse given the shareholders’ ultimate control over board appointments.
The Sinn Féin TD for Louth and the party’s spokesperson on sport had previously said her position was deemed untenable by the club’s board after she called for a boycott of the Republic of Ireland men’s Nations League fixtures against Israel.
Trivela, however, has maintained that the issue arose from a “breakdown in the trust and confidence” between Byrne and the ownership group, rather than her political stance.
In response to her removal, Byrne released an open letter to supporters on Monday afternoon, reiterating her commitment to the club and outlining her perspective on the sequence of events.
She said she remained “deeply committed” to Drogheda United, describing it as “the longest love of my life,” and argued that her removal was ultimately linked to her views on Ireland’s scheduled games against Israel.
“The underlying issue here is as I’ve stated from the beginning,” Byrne wrote, “my strong stance that Ireland should not play Israel in the Uefa Nations League while a genocide against the Palestinian people continues.”
Byrne also criticised the process that led to her removal, claiming she was dismissed “without any consultation” and disputing any suggestion of a conflict of interest between her political role and her position at the club.
“I have consciously kept my politics hat and Drogs hat separate for many years,” she said, adding that Trivela had previously been aware of and supportive of her political career, including during election campaigns.
She further stated that the ownership group had carried out an internal review without her knowledge, despite her role as a board member and director, describing this as “an injustice in itself.”
Despite her removal from the board, Byrne indicated she would remain closely connected to the club as a supporter.
“Football is in my DNA and Drogheda United is in my heart – that can’t be removed from me,” she said. “I am looking forward to returning to the terraces among the rank and file of the Drog faithful.”
The outcome reflects the reality of shareholder control in modern football ownership structures, where ultimate authority over board composition rests with the majority owner, even in cases where disputes play out in public.
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Image Credit: Drogheda United
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