Tom Burke (Irish revolutionary and sportsman)
Irish revolutionary and sportsman (1894
Tom Burke
|
|
---|---|
![]()
Burke winning the 440 yard open in Croke Park, 1915
|
|
Born |
(
1894-02-17
)
17 February 1894
Drogheda
,
County Louth
, Ireland
|
Died |
26 August 1967
(1967-08-26)
(aged
73)
Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland
|
Spouse |
Eileen O'Reilly
(
m.
1931
)
|
Relatives | Christopher Burke (brother), Eamonn Duggan (cousin) |
Thomas Burke (17 February 1894 – 26 August 1967) [1] [2] ) was an Irish revolutionary, sportsman and referee. He spent time in 10 British prisons for his revolutionary activities as the founder of the Drogheda Volunteers during the Irish revolutionary period . Burke played intercounty Gaelic football for Louth and refereed the 1928 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final. He was also an athlete.
Early life
Thomas Burke was born on 17 February 1894 on Coola Street, Drogheda , County Louth , to Christopher Patrick Burke, secretary of the gas works, and Mary McQuillan. He lived the first 12 years of his life on Coola Street, and was raised in a well-off family. However, things took a turn for the worse with the death of Christopher Burke Sr. from Bright's disease on 12 October 1906 at the age of just 44. [1] With the family's source of income gone, his mother moved with him and his five siblings to live with her siblings on Duleek Street. [3]
Burke was a brother of the revolutionary Christopher Burke, and a cousin of the politician Eamonn Duggan. [4]
Revolutionary activities
Thomas Burke was the founder of the Drogheda branch of the Irish Volunteers and was a courier for the revolutionary leader Michael Collins . He served much time in British prisons during the Irish revolutionary period, most notably Frongoch internment camp in 1916, where he captained a Louth side in a game of Gaelic football in the prison. When the truce to end the Irish War of Independence was signed in 1921, Burke was interned in the Curragh . [5]
Referee work
Starting in 1924, Thomas Burke refereed four Leinster Football Finals in a row. In 1928, he refereed the Railway Cup final in March, the 1928 final of the Tailteann Games between Ireland and the United States in August, and the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final between Sligo and Cavan . That same August, Burke refereed the most important match of his career - the 1928 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final between Kildare and Cavan. This match was the first final where the Sam Maguire Cup was awarded to the victors, in this case to Kildare. [5]
Death
Thomas Burke died on 26 August 1967 at the age of 73 in Drogheda. [2]
References
- 1 2 "Irish Genealogy" . civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie . Retrieved 5 December 2018 . [ not specific enough to verify ]
- 1 2 "PressReader - Drogheda Independent: 2017-08-29 - Call was made to name the GAA Grounds after the great Tom Burke" . Archived from the original on 26 December 2018 . Retrieved 5 December 2018 – via PressReader.
- ↑ Gerrard, Richard (2015). Personalities, characters, sporting greats and politicians of all kinds from old and not so old Drogheda .
- ↑ "Obituary of Christopher P. Burke". Drogheda Independent . 11 July 1964.
- 1 2 "The first 'battle for Sam' " . Independent.ie . Retrieved 5 December 2018 .