Former Republic of Ireland international Emma Byrne will the first female to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the upcoming FAI International Awards.
Byrne holds the record number of appearances for the Ireland women's senior team, earning 134 caps as their star goalkeeper throughout her career.
The Kildare native will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame at the '3' FAI International Awards ceremony on 17 March in RTÉ, and the programme will be broadcast live on RTÉ 2.
Byrne, who made her debut in 1996, announced her international retirement in 2017 at the age of 38. She also captained the Ireland team for four years during her career which spanned just over two decades.
During her final year in an Ireland jersey, the Ireland women's team were involved in an historic dispute with the FAI over pay and playing conditions.
Byrne's leadership qualities were particularly important during that time. The players stood firm and their demands were eventually met when they reached an agreement with the FAI.
We need your consent to load this SoundCloud contentWe use SoundCloud to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
The Football Association of Ireland recently dedicated a tribute alcove to Byrne in their Headquarters on the National Sports Campus and this Hall of Fame award follows on from that in recognition of her fantastic career.
"From the time that she first burst onto the underage international stage at age 14, Emma was a fantastic servant to the women's game, representing her country at every age level and winning multiple honours at club level," said FAI Board Member & Chairperson of the Women's Football Committee, Niamh O'Donoghue.
"She was a tremendous role model for young girls around the country and I've no doubt that she inspired an entire generation of girls to follow their dreams of becoming a professional footballer.
"The tribute alcove in FAI Headquarters is fantastic to see and anyone who visits the offices will be able to see just what she achieved. However, becoming the first women's player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is historic and well deserved."
The full list of nominees for the '3' FAI International Awards will be revealed later this week.
