Former mayor laid to rest

Seán O’Riordan

At a graveside oration at St Finbarr’s Cemetery, Fine Gael leader Edna Kenny paid tribute to Liam Burke, pointing out that he had died last Sunday, on the anniversary of Michael Collins’s death.

“And I’m sure that the younger Cork man was there to welcome the older one across with the inevitable ‘Dowtcha Boy’,” Mr Kenny said.

He described Mr Burke as having great political talent, manifested in the fact that he fought nine successful general elections before retiring in 2002.

“The people elected him because they believed in him, trusted him, understood him, and because they loved him,” Mr Kenny said.

He was among scores of dignitaries from the worlds of politics and business who also attended Mr Burke’s requiem mass at St Columba’s Church, Douglas.

Among them were former Tánaistes Peter Barry and Dick Spring. President Mary McAleese was represented by Commandant Lester Costello and the Government by Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin.

Deputies Michael Lowry, Jimmy Deenihan, Michael Noonan and Phil Hogan rubbed shoulders with MEP Simon Coveney, Labour TD Kathleen Lynch and several Fianna Fáil city and county councillors. Former TDs Toddy O’Sullivan and Pearse Wyse were also in attendance.

Fr Christy Fitzgerald CC, who concelebrated Mass with six other priests, said God had granted eternal life to 78-year-old Mr Burke, who he described as positively impacting on so many people’s lives.

“He was someone who made people comfortable, especially with that disarming smile. He was a charmer, with a wonderful personality ... but he used his roguishness with great effect,” he said. “He was first and foremost a husband, a father, a grandfather, brother and a most loyal friend.”

A picture of Mr Burke with his favourite dog, Henrietta, lay on his coffin. A keen coursing man, the dog enabled him to win the coveted Waterloo Cup in 2003. He made friends through the sport as witnessed by the number of members of the Greyhound Owners and Breeders’ Association who turned up.