Renowned local politician dies

CROSS-PARTY tributes were yesterday paid to a former Fine Gael councillor who tragically perished in a house fire in West Cork.

The body of Mary Burke, 87, a notable town council and county council public representative for many years, was found early yesterday in the gutted remains of her home at Millview Terrace, in Market Street, Skibbereen.

Four fire brigade units from Skibbereen, Schull and Bantry tackled the fire in the two-storey house for more than four hours before a rescue unit recovered the body. The remains were taken to Bantry General Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Gardaí said a preliminary examination of the scene pointed to an accidental chimney fire. Fine Gael TD for West Cork, Jim O’Keeffe, said yesterday that Skibbereen would deeply mourn her passing. Fianna Fáil town councillor, Donal McCarthy, who served on the local authority with Mrs Burke, said she was both a dedicated public representative and voluntary worker, always with the good of Skibbereen at heart.

Together with her late husband, Timothy D Burke, the couple had given a total of 40 years’ service to local government.

Mrs Burke (neé MacCarthy) was co-opted to both Cork County Council and Skibbereen UDC in 1979 following the death of her husband. She retained the town and council seats in local elections later that year and also in 1985. Her late husband had entered local politics in 1952.

She devoted much of her spare time and substantial energies into the organisation and development of many cultural, social and community organisations locally. Until her death, she was president of the Skibbereen branch of the COPE Foundation, which provides a residential hostel in the town. She shared a great passion for the agricultural show circuit and presented a perpetual cup at Carbery Show, in which she was a committee member for many years, in honour of her late husband.

Mrs Burke was also a founder member of the local branch of the ICA and a member of the geriatric society.

She leaves a large circle of relatives and friends, including her sisters Peggy MacCarthy, a retired school- teacher in Skibbereen, and Mother M Patrick, Poor Clare Monastery, Galway. She was also sister to the late Daniel G MacCarthy, a well-known solicitor.