Joan Burke was the first and only woman to represent Roscommon in the Dail Eireann. After her husband Jimmy Burke, who was a member of the Dail, died in 1964, Joan bravely decided to defend his seat in the subsequent by-election, winning despite being given little chance. She served as a member of the Dail for Roscommon until her retirement in 1977, representing her constituents with dignity, hard work and dedication through changing political times. Though not a flashy political figure, she stood the test of changing political tastes in Roscommon and never lost an election.

1. A trailblazinglady
IN an era of genderquotas and initiativesaimedat increasing women’sparticipation in politics,
Joan Burke was a mould-breaker.She was the first and to date, only woman to representthe
people ofRoscommon in Dail Eireann since the foundationof the state.
By Darragh Kelly
Like a political contemporary,the late TaoiseachJackLynch,she wasan unassuming,yet resilient
figure.Like Lynchtoo,she spentherformative yearsinCork,where she wasborn on the 8th
February
1928.
JoanBurke firstcame to Tulskon the invitationof hergoodfriendFriedaLennon,whose familywere
proprietors of StrokestownPostOffice.Bothnursingcolleaguesin the thenCherryOrchardHospital
inDublin,FriedaintroducedhertoJames(Jimmy) Burke.Romance soonblossomed!
OriginallyfromGranlahaninWestRoscommonJimmy Burke wasthenfashioningapolitical career,
firstas a memberof RoscommonCountyCouncil andlateras a memberof Dail Eireannandwas first
electedin 1954 before beingre-electedinthe subsequentelectionsof 1957 and1961.
A farmerby profession,Jimmyandhisfamilyresidedonthe groundsof the oldCarginsDemense,
locatedonthe Roscommonroad,about200 metres fromthe crossroadsinTulskvillage.He wasa
well-respectedpolitical figure,whonumberedamonghisfriendsHenryKenny,fatherof current
Taoiseach,EndaKenny.The twooftentravelledtogetherfromTulskonDail business.
But thenfate playedacruel hand. OnMay 12th
, 1964, JimmyBurke diedfollowingabattle with
illness.Withayoung sonand daughterto supportand havingnopreviousinvolvementinpolitics,
JoanBurke made the brave decisiontodefendherhusband’sseatinthe subsequentbye-election,
heldonJuly 8th
1964.
Many of the punditsof the time gave herlittle chance butshe confoundedthem.Heropponents
includedHughGibbonsfrom Keadue,amemberof Roscommon’sAll-Irelandwinningteamin1944
whowas a well-respectedGP,standingforFiannaFail andOliverMacklin,latertobe become a
DistrictCourt Judge,whostoodforthe Labour party.
Her lastelection,inJune 1977 was the beginningof anew era forpoliticsinthe countywiththe
emergence of SeanDohertyandTerryLeyden.Earlierinthe termof the previousDail,she waslucky
to escape withherlife followingaseriousroadtrafficaccident,near KilcockinJuly1975.
Later inher retirementyears,JoanBurke movedtoDublin tobe close toherdaughterAnn.She kept
a regularinterestinlocal affairsandwasa memberof the Associationof formermembersof the
Oireachtas.
She was nota political figurewhogeneratedlarge newspapercolumns,butinherownquietand
unassumingway,she representedherconstituentswithdignity,hardworkanddedication.
Roscommon isa county where political reputationsare quickly made anddestroyed –howevershe

2. neverlostan electionandstoodthe testof changingpolitical tastes.ThatforJoan Burke isas good a
legacyas any…