Midday Sun - 'Sir Joseph Byrne, a former Royal Inniskillen Fusilier, had risen by way of the post of deputy Adjutant-General in Ireland to command the Royal Irish Constabulary, and to be rewarded by the Governorship first of the Seychelles, then of Sierra Leone, and finally of Kenya. His cautious approach to decision-making led to a frequent response of 'yes, but-' and hence his local nickname Butty Byrne. With her usual asperity Daphne Moore wrote: 'I have listened to the damn man telling me the same dull stories about himself every time I meet him.' But he had his human side too. On New Year's Eve, 1932, Glady Delamere gave a party at Muthaiga Club which included the Byrnes. 'The Haldemans were there. Lady Idina (formerly Hay, formerly Gordon, formerly Wallace) got herself introduced to H.E. and the whole club held their sides to see Kenya's most notorious vamp clasped in the arms of the King's representative who was apparently making the most of it.'  

Permanent Way - For two or three months before he left Kenya, in the December of 1936, Sir Joseph Byrne had been a very ill man and he had played little part in public affairs.

Golf - President of Nairobi Golf Club in 1932  

Debrett - Major and Brevet Lieut.-Col. (retired) and Hon. Brig.-Gen., Inspector-Gen Royal Irish Constabulary 1916-20, SA War 1899-1902 (wounded, Queens medal with 5 clasps, King's medal with 2 clasps), was Gov. & Com.-in-Ch. Seychelles 1922-27, then Sierra Leone.  

Irish - Appointed Governor of Kenya in 1932. He was the first Irishman to aspire to this appointment and also the first, and last, Catholic Governor. He is reputed to have had very conscientious care for the welfare of all sections of the population and his sound common sense seemed to keep the colony running smoothly. It cannot have been an easy task as his duties included many official and semi-official occasions which he was expected to attend in which religion played a part. However his wife was not a Catholic so, if he had to attend a service in the Catholic church in his official capacity, his wife represented him at the cathedral of the Highlands for the official service there. Sir Joseph was a great host renowned for his hospitality, and functions at Government House during his term of office were popular and slightly less formal and more enjoyable than the norm. He was a keen golfer and played at Royal Nairobi GC, serving on the committee and later presenting the Sir Joseph Byrne Cup which is still played for each year at the Royal. Sir Joseph was invited to be a patron of the Irish Society, which he accepted, and was a keen supporter bringing a large party of friends to the St. Patrick's Day Dinner each year. When he left the colony in 1937 the Society noted his departure with sadness as everyone would miss his friendly wit and charm. It had been a great boost to the morale of the small Irish community to have 'one of their own' in such high office.  

White Man - Sir Edward Grigg departed in Aug. 1930 and Sir Joseph Byrne, promoted from Sierra Leone did not arrive until Feb. 1931

Nicholls - A former Chief Secretary {Dutton} said of him, 'His greatest crime appears to be, so they say, damn stupidity'. Byrne struck the settlers as vacillating and lacking in confidence and drive, the embodiment of an uncaring government in Britain. He indulged a plaintive manner, and he signally failed to respond to settler unrest, his attitude to the agricultural crisis being one of laissez-faire. He was out of his depth and showed it. 'I am bound to confess', said Eric Dutton in 1935, 'that never in my experience have I met a man so utterly incapable of governing, so utterly out of touch with the governed as Sir Joseph Bird [Byrne]. It is deplorable.

Best - a tough and uncompromising Governor who was not popular with the farming community. Succeeded Sir Edward Grigg as Governor of Kenya in 1931 until Dec. 1936