Sudden death is always tragic; the unexpected death on 29 November last of John Oliver Burke, Ambassador of Ireland to Portugal, in the prime of his life, left his family, loyal colleagues and many friends bereft and numbed.
John's coffin was draped in the Tricolour when it arrived at Baldonnel, accompanied by his wife Dorothy and their children, in an Air Corps aircraft from Lisbon. The ceremony was brief and dignified and carried out impeccably by pall-bearers from the Military Police. The Minister for Foreign Affairs was there as were senior colleagues from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Aras an Uachtarain and the Department of the Taoiseach.
The ceremonial would have pleased John: it was both poignant and pertinent. For many years he had served as Chief of Protocol in Iveagh House. Protocol is sometimes seen, quite wrongly, as the fussy and ephemeral side of diplomacy. On the contrary, it is a vital and highly demanding function - which John Burke carried out magnificently with that combination of intelligence, tact and precision which are the essential ingredients of successful diplomacy at every level. John's success and achievements as Chief of Protocol were known and greatly admired in countries throughout the world.
Handsome and dapper as anyone in central casting could have wished for, he planned and participated in many presidential visits abroad and in state and official visits to Ireland by the heads of state and government of a host of other countries. To these tasks he brought unflagging energy, patience, courtesy and good humour. These qualities too were much admired - not just by his peers at home and in other diplomatic services but by everyone he came in contact with: the drivers, the gardai, the catering workers, the providers of what he affectionately called "cultural manifestations" and the myriad of others behind the scenes whose effective co-operation is crucial to the successful conduct of an EU summit or a bilateral visit.
John's achievements as a diplomat, while most visible as Chief of Protocol, included postings to the United Nations in New York, the embassies in Washington and Copenhagen and, early in his career, the Consulate General in New York. During his time at the UN, at the General Assembly of 199192, he was a distinguished chairman of the second committee, which deals with international economic affairs. His hallmarks were thoroughness, humanity and dedication, coupled with a great spirit of teamwork which, utterly democratic and fair-minded, inspired rare depths of affection and loyalty from his colleagues and counterparts.
Throughout a long career, John made friends, personally and for Ireland, wherever he worked. He took his work seriously but never took himself too seriously. He had a wry and charming sense of humour and fun and when work was over he was a relaxed and convivial companion. He had a wide range of interests. Some - creative writing, diplomatic history and the law - one would expect; others - trains, naval vessels and the Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire - were special interests of his own. He retained a great affection for the West of Ireland, for Galway and for UCG, where he had studied for his primary law degree.
John was a devoted husband, father and grandfather with a quiet but obvious pride in his close-knit and affectionate family. For Dorothy and their children, Barbara, Jennifer, Sarah, Edward, his brother Colm and his seven grandchildren, the high esteem, the great affection in which John was held by his many friends and colleagues at home and abroad will be a consolation and a reminder of a life well lived by an outstanding civil servant, husband and father.
And though we lament the untimely departure of John Burke's motorcade, we doubt not its high destination.
M.R.