The people of his adopted parish of Knockainey and his native Granagh and Kilfinny were shocked when they heard the news of the sudden death of Willie Burke. He had passed away to his eternal reward in his sleep. Kilballyowen, Knockainey and Kilmacow, Kilfinny will long remember him as a great sportsman and administrator. Though the calendar will say that he was 75 years, he looked and was doing the work of a man 20 years younger. The only way to describe Willie Burke was to say that he was a unique person. He had that rare quality which made him liked by everybody who were lucky enough to know him. He had two great loves in his life. One, his family, his wife Margaret, whom he adored, and his four children Eileen, Mike, Tommy and Pat. Two, hurling which was total. The man lived and worked and administered the affairs of the Knockainey GAA Club as if it was his very life. He married Margaret O'Keeffe from Kilfinane in 1965 and on their return from their honeymoon took up residence in Kilballyowen where they have lived and farmed since. Willie got involved in GAA affairs straight away and held many posts up to 1987 when he was appointed secretary of the club. The Burkes have given 15 years of 24 hours service seven days a week since then. In his youth with his brothers Pat, Ned and Mick they played hurling with a team called Strand Rovers. Though his parish was Granagh, Strand Rovers were mainly hurlers from Kilmcow which is part of Kilfinny. Two stories told about him highlighted the man's total dedication to hurling. On one occasion Strand Rovers were to play a match on the Sunday. Friday came and the hurleys which they had ordered had not arrived. This was in precar days. When Willie was finished his work on the farm he got up on his bicycle and cycled the 20 miles to Pallaskenry, tied up his hurleys on the bar of his bike and cycled home again. On another occasion there were no funds to buy the yellow jerseys for Strand Rovers. Willie dipped into the family milk cheque and got the required clothing. It took the club two years to repay the milk cheque. A huge difference to today's sponsorship. For the 15 years Willie was secretary of our club no job was too big or two small for him or his family. When the field needed cutting Willie or his son Mike were on the job. The bag of jerseys needing washing were produced from the car and Margaret would have them hanging on the line in no time. This was a huge task when one considers that there were minors, under 21, junior and intermediate teams in hurling and football to be washed for. Two of his most cherished memories were Limerick winning the All Ireland Hurling Championship in 1973 and winning the County Intermediate Championship last October to achieve senior status. One of the most popular club officials at South or County Board meetings, he was always present to speak for the club he loved and worked so hard for over three and a half decades. During Willie's period as secretary, Knockainey achieved many successes on the playing fields of Limerick. In 1989 they won the south junior hurling championship. In 1991 they won south and county junior hurling championships which pushed them into intermediate status. In 1994 they won the South intermediate hurling championship which they repeated in 1999. In 2000 they brought home the All-county hurling league and followed this up by winning the South Limerick intermediate championship. Also in 2000 the Junior B team brought home the South and County championships. During this period the under 21 hurlers brought home the south and county championships also. The footballers were busy as well. In the seventies joined with Hospital-Herbertstown under the Na Fianna banner they won the under 21 county in 1976 and 1977 back to back. Back on their own they captured the county junior football championship and the south senior football in 1984. Willie was selector during this very successful period. The proudest moment of all came for him last October when Mike O'Brien, captain received the county intermediate hurling championship cup and with it senior status for the club. We saw Willie shed tears of joy that evening in Kilmallock. The huge number of people who went to Davern's Funeral Home on Tuesday for the removal of his remains and also were present in St. Mary's Church Knockainey on Wednesday for the Requiem Mass and burial were proof of the popularity of this great man. The chief celebrant at the concelebrated Requiem Mass was Fr Tom Fanning PP, Knockainey and Patrickswell assisted by Fr Joe Kennedy P.P., Croom, a relative of the Burke family, Fr James Costello PP, Bruff, Fr Tom Ryan PP, Murroe-Boher, Fr Tom Ryan from Caherdavin and Fr Kelliher, West Limerick. (K'ainey) Courtesy of The Limerick Leader June 2002 Tweet

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