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Gerry Burns
Born: November 15th, 1934
Died: February 18th, 2020
Gerry Burns, who has died in hospital after a short illness, was formerly chief executive of Fermanagh District Council, a director of The Irish Times, a governor of the Irish Times Trust and the North’s ombudsman.
He was also a survivor of the Enniskillen bomb of 1987, when 11 people were killed in the IRA bombing of a Remembrance Day ceremony. He had been due to lay the wreath on behalf of the council at the ceremony, as he did every year. Although uninjured, he found a piece of concrete in his pocket afterwards. He knew some of the dead and injured, and the atrocity deeply affected him.
In the aftermath he and the late Gordon Wilson set up the Spirit of Enniskillen project, dedicated to promoting reconciliation among young people. It left a positive mark on Northern society.
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He began as chief executive at a difficult time in the mid-1970s. The council had been deadlocked with equal numbers of unionists and nationalists
As council chief executive, he drove many significant developments. Several stand out. The Marble Arch Caves were opened up as a visitor attraction. The Ardhowen Theatre was built by the river Erne, becoming one of Ireland’s most prestigious provincial theatres. Enniskillen’s 19th-century Buttermarket was rescued from dereliction, to become a thriving art, craft and design centre. After the historic town hall was bombed, he ensured its restoration. The Necarne Estate at Irvinestown was developed as a centre of equestrian excellence. He did much to facilitate the development of the Erneside Shopping Centre.
He began as chief executive at a difficult time in the mid-1970s. The council had been deadlocked with equal numbers of unionists and nationalists. The situation was tense. This eased for a while, then tensions increased with the hunger strikes of early 1980s and the entry of Sinn Féin into the political arena.
Throughout, his aim was to make Fermanagh one community. All parties respected him. He worked successfully with all and produced co-operation on issues of common interest.
The report recommended ending the North's Eleven Plus exams
As well as being ombudsman, an equally important role was overseeing the team that wrote the Burns report into the future of secondary education in the North. The late Martin McGuinness, as minister for education, commissioned this some 20 years ago. The report recommended ending the North’s Eleven Plus exams, and ending academic selection for entry to secondary level. His proposals met resistance and have not yet been implemented.
His roles with The Irish Times were important, as he brought a Northern Irish voice. He also served as pro-chancellor of the University of Ulster, and on the North’s tourist board.
Gerard Bernard Burns was born in the Lower Falls, Belfast, in 1934, the second-youngest of three sons and two daughters to Bernard Burns, a shipyard worker, and his wife, Sarah (nee Poland). He attended primary school locally; received secondary education at St Mary’s Christian Brothers Grammar School; and then attended Queen’s University Belfast, graduating with a BSc in economics.
After graduation he worked first with the Northern Ireland Civil Service, then as a lecturer in economics at Armagh Technical College, before becoming chief executive of Fermanagh Council.
He is survived by his daughters, Yvanna and Nuala: sons Gerard, Declan and John; and sister, Una. He was predeceased by his wife, Moyra.