The Burke dynasty, Fine Gael royalty in Mayo

by Dr. Richard Martin

History doesn’t repeat itself but it rhymes.

The Panic of 1907, the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the 1973 Oil Crisis, the Revolution in Iran, the Global Financial Crisis of 07/08, Brexit, Covid and the Ukrainian war all have one thing in common.

When the economic system is in chaos and uncertainty prevails investors in general flee to the safe haven of gold. Every time the world has faced a major crisis over the last century, the price of gold jumps, sometimes exponentially.

Gold is the gold standard safe haven for the cautious investor.

In Ireland right now, FG are on the ropes. They have been in power for the last 13 years. It’s eerily reminiscent of the long Conservative rule under Thatcher or the decade-long rule by Blair.

When a party is in the seat of power for a decade or longer the wolves are waiting at the door.

In June we have the local and European elections. The general election will likely be held next year but could be earlier.

FG candidates will face the public locally and nationally in the coming months.

Locally, Cyril Burke, from the FG perspective, is FG royalty. It would be seen as a major shock and a disaster for the party if he wasn’t elected.

The Burkes represent the core values of the FG party.

There are two other party candidates on the ticket with him. Ger Deere and Donna Sheridan.

The Burkes are the quintessential classic FG setup. Rural. Conservative. GAA. Farming.

His brother Paddy is the longest-serving Senator in the State. In situ since 1993. He is currently the father of the Senate.

The Burke roots in FG go to the foundation of the free state in 1922, before FG was founded in the ‘30s.

Their grandfather, P.V. Burke, was pro-treaty and was attacked and wounded by the Black and Tans during the War of Independence. His tongue was tarred.

Their father, Pakie Burke, was elected in 1967 to Mayo County Council but lost his seat in 1974.

Paddy Burke was elected to Mayo County Council in 1979. While Cyril was co-opted in November 2003 and elected in 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019.

Looking at their record in politics is illuminating.

Senator Burke has been in public life for 45 years consecutively. Councillor Burke has been in public life for 21 years consecutively. That’s a combined 66 years of continuous service to the state.

They are the gold standard definition of a rural political machine in this county and island. Consistency. Unbeaten.

It is felt by many in FG that Councillor Burke should have been the successor to Enda Kenny and that it was a huge mistake not to run him. He had served a long apprenticeship.

Many would feel his talents would have been better served in the Dáil. Charismatic. Intelligent.

Good communicator. Really, in truth, of the 30 councillors in the council chamber, only a few are able for the next step into the Dáil and Councillor Burke is one of them.

When Enda Kenny faced a heave in 2010 from rebels within his party, he needed heavyweights to circle the wagons. He lost the vote of the TDs.

His front bench voted against him. They all aligned themselves with Bruton. But the 16 votes in the Senate and four votes from Europe were crucial.

That’s what swung it for him. He remained the leader of the party and became Taoiseach shortly after.

Paddy Burke pulled in the Senate vote. We never would’ve had a Mayo Taoiseach otherwise. The Burke machine and influence won the day.

Kenny eventually won by a mere six votes.

Of course, Enda Kenny tried to abolish the Senate in 2013. Loyalty in politics seems to be a rare commodity at the best of times. Rarer than gold.

The urban councils were abolished too in 2014 under Kenny’s governance. It was a disaster for the town. Not the Burkes’ fault.

Ger Deere was Kenny’s man on the ground during those years. He can’t be faulted either. Policy decisions weren’t his to make.

But did Kenny hear what he needed to hear? What were the people closest to him telling him?

When Castlebar had an urban council, money that came into the town through pay and display was kept in the town. Over a calendar year in a town like Castlebar, which is a very busy commercial town, the pay and display revenue alone could exceed €1 million.

The funds collected could be ringfenced for ambitious projects by the urban council, like the bridge at Lough Lannagh.

It’s likely Lough Lannagh as we know it today would not exist only for the urban council of yesteryear.

Councillor Burke and Councillor Al McDonnell are both prominent businessmen in the county town and are respected as such, but they are also rural candidates.

They have an extra dimension with which they can approach politics. They can mix easily in both camps.

Farmers’ payments, weather and silage are all topics for the rural candidates. Silage wouldn’t be a big topic of conversation in Knockthomas.

The rural-based candidates know that they must pull 300/400 votes in the town before they break for the gap out in Carnacon and Mayo Abbey. Their day-to-day presence on the ground in the town ensures that.

Both men have little or no social media presence. Old school. Traditional. A throwback to the old tribal divisions of FF and FG. Huge mutual respect on a personal level but a very different take on the national question and Irish history.

The Burkes are fervent Collins supporters. Councillor McDonnell is Pearse and Dev. No time for optics and photographs.

The discerning public sees through that. They want people who can represent their needs and concerns. Both sides attend funerals appropriately and respectfully. A wake is no place to canvass.

I meet my old and good friend Padraic McHale frequently as I passed by his shop. We say hello and then segue almost immediately into politics local and national. Collins. De Valera. Treaty. Haughey.

One thing Cyril is assured of is the vote from Padraic. Anything for Cyril. The deeper the roots. The stronger the tree.

With Padraic on one shoulder and his brother Paddy on the other, Councillor Burke won’t go too far wrong. He won’t top the poll but he’ll take the 4th or 5th seat.

Mind you. If Padraic’s name was ever on the ballot paper, he’d landslide home with 3,000 plus votes. He wouldn’t have to do much of a canvass either.

Two laps of the lake. One lap of the Mall. All that would be needed. Maybe a coffee in Swirl. A quick chat with Alice and back to the shop. Pat Gavin is cut from the same cloth. At the gate of Castlebar Celtic FC day and daily. Total devotion.

Our community is built by such men. He’s pulled the Bould Blackie over the line more than once.

If Padraic and Pat were both on the ballot paper the rest would be living off the scraps.

(Dr. Richard Martin is a regular guest columnist with The Connaught Telegraph).