Tribute to former Winchburgh councillor Ronnie O’Byrne

Jan 21 2010 by Debbie Hall, West Lothian Courier

FORMER Winchburgh councillor Ronnie O’Byrne has passed away, aged 84.

Mr O’Byrne was born in Bathgate on April 24, 1926 to a family with connections to the coal and shale oil industries and attended St Mary’s secondary school.

He was called up in 1944 and his natural athleticism led him to the Army Physical Training Corps, where he became a Sergeant before his nineteenth birthday.

He also won the inter-service National Light Middle Weight Boxing title in 1947.

After a short period in the shipyard at Grangemouth, Mr O’Byrne spent the following 29 years as a process worker at ICI Dyestuffs Division in Grangemouth.

He later became the chairman of the West Lothian Labour Party and councillor for Winchburgh.

In 1954 he married Bridget McWilliams and the couple had two children.

Alex Linkston CBE, chief executive of West Lothian Council said of Mr O’Byrne: “He was the first of the modernisers.

“He was prepared to challenge senior councillors as to whether they were really obtaining value for money from well-established contractors and architectural partnerships with whom they had cosy relationships with.

“We council officials were excited by a brave politician who was prepared to put his head above the parapet.”

Mr O’Byrne is survived by Bridget along with son, Ronnie and daughter, Susan.