Mary Burke

Mary Burke, mother of Sinn Féin Dublin City Councillor Christy Burke, passed away in Dublin's Mater Hospital on 21 November. She had been on a life-support machine in the hospital's intensive care unit prior to her death.

Mary was born in Dorset Street in Dublin's North Inner City 80 years ago. She bore 13 children, only five of which are alive today — Christy, Paddy, Jimmy, Rosaleen and Terry. Her husband, Kevin, died eleven years ago.

Mary lived in Dermot O'Dwyer House on Hardwick Street for 52 years, up until her death. Despite great hardship, she made sure her table was always full, and that all her children were well educated.

She was renowned as an independent, principled, compassionate woman, with strong republican ideals. Her door was always open to anyone who needed a bed for the night and her visitors included Rab Hunter, Seán Stewart, Kevin Mallon, Séamus Twomey, Joe Cahill and JB O'Hagan. She gave Gerry Adams his first Dublin Coddle, an experience he's said to have enjoyed.

Her house was raided as frequently as any active republican, but it didn't deter her from instilling the republican tradition in her children. When Christy and Paddy were political prisoners in Mountjoy jail in the 1970s, she attended their Special Court appearances, and at the end would shout, "Up the Republic. Up the IRA".

She canvassed for her son Christy before his election to Dublin City Council in 1985 and plastered her windows with Sinn Féin posters at a time when a person risked Special Branch intimidation and perhaps losing their job, in doing so.

During the last election in 2004 she was already suffering badly from arthritis and respiratory problems. Despite Christy's pleas for her to stay at home, she insisted a car be sent for her to take her to the polling station. Stranger things happened, she said, than someone losing an election by one vote.

Her son Jimmy, born with a severe disability and resident in Stewart's Hospital in Palmerstown since 1966, was the apple of her eye. Her loving nature extended even beyond him on her family's hospital visits, when she would make her children bring sweets and lemonade for the other patients in the hospital.

A traditional Dublin wake, complete with republican songs and personnel present, was held for Mary in her flat on Tuesday 22 November.

On Thursday 24 November, Mary Burke was given a republican funeral from Gardiner Street Church to Dardistown Cemetery. Her surviving children brought Jimmy from the hospital to the funeral. She would have been proud of them for the dignified sending off they gave her.

A committed republican, a supporter of the Peace Process, a kind, caring, determined woman -Mary Burke will be missed by all who knew her.