Nicky Byrne

Nicholas Bernard James Adam Byrne (born 9 October 1978, Baldoyle, County Dublin) is the oldest member of the popular Irish pop band, Westlife.

Football career

Before joining Sligo based band IOU, Byrne was a footballer who played for Home Farm F.C. and St. clemintines Boys F.C. in North Dublin. He became a professional football player, and joined Leeds United as a goalkeeper in 1995, and was a squad member of the FA Youth Cup winning team of 1997.

He played for Leeds for two years, leaving when his contract expired in June, 1997. He played in a reserve game for Scarborough F.C. and in a trial game with Cambridge United before returning to join Dublin club Shelbourne. He then signed for Cobh Ramblers, then St. Francis F.C., all in Ireland's Eircom league.

Musical career

In 1997, he attended an audition for a new Irish boyband, where he was spotted by Boyzone manager Louis Walsh, and Walsh approached him to join his new venture, Westlife. He joined Westlife along with Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and Brian McFadden.

His first album with Westlife was released in November, 1999, titled Westlife. With Westlife, Byrne has had 14 UK number ones and 7 number one albums in the UK, and sold 40 million records worldwide.

Personal life

He married his childhood sweetheart Georgina Ahern, daughter of the former Irish Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern on 5 August 2003 at the Wicklow Registry Office, Wicklow, County Wicklow, Ireland. The civil ceremony was followed on Saturday August 9 by a church blessing at the Roman Catholic Church of St Pierre et St Paul in Gallardon, Eure-et-Loir, France and a reception at the nearby 16th century Château d'Esclimont.

Georgina gave birth to fraternal twin sons Rocco Bertie Byrne and Jay Nicky Byrne on 20 April 2007, 6 weeks premature. Rocco and Jay were christened on 15 July 2007 in the Saint Sylvester Church in Malahide, Dublin.

Jay's godparents are Nicky's sister Gillian Byrne and her husband Mark Gallagher. Rocco's godparents are Georgina's sister Cecelia Ahern and Nicky's brother Adam Byrne.