Farmer who contributed much to all aspects of life in county

OBITUARY: Bill Bourke, Fairyhouse

Meath East TD and Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, paid tribute to the late William (Bill) Bourke of Ballyhack, Fairyhouse, Ratoath, who died on Monday 18th December last, after a short illness, at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown.

Bill Bourke made an outstanding contribution to many aspects of life in County Meath,” Ms McEntee stated. “As a community activist, parishioner, sporting enthusiast, political activist and as a discreet patron of so many charitable causes.

“Hundreds of people will remember fondly the friendly, kind face at his beloved Fairyhouse Racecourse, where he had been at the centre of the development and growth of the track over the years,” she continued.

“Bill was an active member of Fine Gael over many decades. As a member of the Kilbride branch and various party committees, he gave strong support to party representatives over the years, including former Taoiseach John Bruton and my late father, who enjoyed his friendship, and many others. The Fine Gael party in Co Meath offers sympathy to Gladys, Maria, and to the wider Bourke and Dunne families.”

The minister's tribute was a fitting recognition of the life of the Johnstown, Navan, native, whose unexpected passing occurred after a short illness.

Bill was son of the late Cornelius (Con) and Kathleen Bourke of Johnstown in Navan. Con Bourke was a native of Thurles, Co Tipperary, who married Kathleen Murphy from Main Street, Dunshaughlin. He had come to Navan as Meath County Council's first secretary in turbulent times in 1921, having been interviewed by Kevin O'Higgins TD, then an assistant minister at the fledgling Department of Local Government, and TE Duffy of Meath Co Council. He had previously been an agricultural instructor with Kildare County Committee of Agriculture, and pursued his farming interests at Johnstown, Navan,

Retiring in 1956, Con died in December 1963, while Kathleen lived until the age of 101, passing away in March 2007.

Bill was a chairman of the Navan Young Farmers Club in the early 1960s, and in 1963 was chairman of the Navan branch of the National Farmers' Association, later the Irish Farmers Association. As a young man, he played football with Walterstown. In 1965, he married Gladys Dunne from Skryne, and they established their home at Ballyhack, a farm which had been in his grandmother's family, backing onto Fairyhouse Racecourse.

Originally a mixed enterprise, he later concentrated on tillage, producing highest quality crops. It was the close association with Fairyhouse and his interest in horse breeding that led him to serve a number of terms on the board of the racecourse, first from 1990, and again from 2014.

Current manager of Fairyhouse Racecourse, Peter Roe, recalled that in turbulent times for the racecourse before its takeover by Horse Racing Ireland, Bill and some of his colleagues helped to steady the ship.

In addition, Bill was a successful owner and breeder of horses. He raced Savello with John Berry before selling it to Gigginstown House Stud. The horse won none races under rules including the Grand Annual Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

He also raced Cara Mara and Civena. He loved is breeding and enjoyed trips to Boardsmill Stud, and also used Coolmore and Rathbarry stallions.

Bill was a council member and director of the Association of Irish Racecourse Owners, where manager, Regina Byrne, said he was the most generous, compassionate and kind individual who gave of his time voluntarily for the good of the owners for over two decades.

He held the position of honorary treasurer with the association before his retirement in April, when a tribute night took place for him in Fairyhouse during the summer.

Peter Roe described Bill as one of life's gentlemen whose generosity and integrity made him a very special friend of everyone he met.

“As a landowner adjacent to the track, he was always very conscientious about how his hedges and land looked as people tuned to watch Fairyhouse on television,” he added. “He planted copper beech trees along the boundary of the racecourse, and these will be a lifelong memory of Bill.”

During the Covid locked-down Irish Grand National of 2021, won by Dermot McLoughlin's Freewheelin Dylan, Bill and family could be spotted in the coverage on a trailer watching the racing from his lands at Ballyhack, with a picnic.

Bill was delighted to see Clarita, part-owned by his nephew Michael Meegan, and named after his late sister, Ita Bourke Lyons, win a fillies maiden at Dundalk on the Friday evening before his passing, running in the Tipperary colours of their father's native county, with Gavin Cromwell training and Robert Whearty on board.

Bill supported local hunts, particularly the Ward Union and Fingal Harriers.

He was greatly involved in many charitable organisations and events, including the annual barbecue at Fairyhouse in the early noughties, which raised hundreds of thousands of euro for Temple Street Children's Hospital. He also organised fundraisers for injured jockeys.

In Navan, he was prominent in the Knights of St Columbanus and the Navan Mental Health Association. He was a member of the board of the Navan Mental Health Housing Association, and through the Knights, who provided a guard of honour at his funeral, a key projects was a sensory garden at the adult day unit for people with intellectual disabilities at the An Draighnean facility on the Commons Road in Navan.

In a tribute the Knights of St Columbanus paid tribute to Bill's generosity, kindness, and unwavering dedication to the organisation in Navan for the past 50 years.

Other tributes described Bill as an affable gentleman, full of kindness and generosity, who was always a pleasure to meet, and good company, who enjoyed great discussion on farming and racing, politics and sport.

He was a member and organiser with the Kilbride Fine Gael branch.

Predeceased by his infant son, Cornelius and his sisters, Joan Slattery and Ita Lyons, Bill is survived by his wife, Gladys; daughter, Maria Heffernan; grandson, Stephen; son-in-law, Dave; sisters, Anne Foley, Balreask, Kilmessan, and Eleanor Meegan, Johnstown, Navan; brothers-in-law, nephews, nieces, extended family, neighbours and a wide circle of friends.

A funeral took place in Ratoath on Friday 22nd December.