Byrne played schoolboy football for Home Farm and made his League of Ireland debut on 12 October 1973 for that club against St Patrick's Athletic.
He stayed only one season with Home Farm and in the summer of 1974 he signed for Dundalk, however by the end of November he had moved on to their County Louth rivals Drogheda United.
The closest he came to winning a trophy was playing on the FAI Cup final losing Drogheda side of 1976.
St Pats needed to beat Dundalk in the last game of the season to win the league but drew and had to be content with runners up medals.
In 1990 Byrne went one better as he became the first St Patrick's Athletic captain in 34 years to lift the League of Ireland trophy.