Ciaran Bourke

Ciaran Bourke (February 18, 1935 – May 10, 1988) was an Irish singer. He was part of the group The Dubliners. His songs included "Peggy Lettermore" and "Roddy McCorley". He played the tin whistle and guitar, and spoke Gaelic fluently.

Early Life

Bourke was born in Dublin, and his father was a doctor who had a practice in the city. When he was a child, he had an Irish speaking nanny, and took an interest in Irish culture and language, and he attended Colaiste Mhuire in Dublin. He then attended University College Dublin for a degree in farming, but did not take the degree.

The Dubliners

In the early 1960s, Bourke and Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly and Barney McKenna met together at O' Donoghues Pub, Dublin and sung together in a traditional folk style. This was the original Dubliners line up, and they then went on a tour of Ireland and fiddle-player John Sheahan joined them in 1964. Bourke sang many songs in Gaelic in the band such as "Peggy Lettermore", "The Juice of the Barley" and "Sé Fáth Mo Bhuartha" and others.

Declining Health and Death

On the 5th of April 1974, they were singing in Eastbourne where Luke Kelly saw that he was moving his head in a way to try and stop pain. A brain anuerysm was diagnosed. Bourke then stayed at home and recieved therapy for it. He stayed out of the band due to his health-issues but remained payed. In 1987 he appeared on RTE's tribute to The Dubliners on The Late Late Show and there he sang "The Lament for Brendan Behan." Bourke died due to complications of an aneurysm near the brain on May 10th 1988 at the age of 53.