Pat Bourke honoured by GAA in Philadelphia

It has been a good few weeks for the Drimarone gang in Philadelphia.

‘Donegal Danny’ Dan Harrell has been honoured to be the Grand Marshal at the Philadelphia St Patrick’s Day Parade while Pat Bourke was honoured for his work for St Pat’s GAA Club at their recent awards night. Both have strong connections to the Drimarone area outside Donegal Town with Dan Harrell’s mother, Agnes Bridget McDaid having emigrated to the US from there while Pat Bourke spent most of his young life in the area.

Bourke came to live in Meenauish in the shadow of the Blue Stacks at the age of seven or eight and went to National School in Ballydevitt “in Naoise (Ignatius) Herron’s bus,” says Bourke. He would be thankful for the bus as it would have been a long walk. He also remembers two bus journeys to the Tech in Donegal with Joe Clancy and Tony Curristin, leaving home around 7.30 in the morning and not returning home until 6 in the evening.

Bourke had returned from England to live with his grandparents, the McDermotts, and he has great memories of growing up in the area.

'Donegal Danny' chosen to lead St Patrick’s Day parade in Philadelphia

Dan Harrell, whose mother Agnes Bridget McDaid emigrated to the US from Drimarone, will be this year's St Patrick's Day parade Grand Marshall in Philadelphia

“I made many good friends in Drimarone, Pat Quinn, James Brogan, the McGroarys and I always have to visit Anabella McGroary when I’m back home. She was very good to me,” says Bourke.

After getting married in 1986 to Ann Quinn (from outside Laghey), they lived in Drimarone for a few years before making a big move to the US. “We got Donnelly Visas and a sponsor and arrived in New York. We were there for six weeks and I didn’t like it at all. I was ready to pull the plug, only for the McGroarys. I called Colin McGroary, who was in Philadelphia, and asked if I could come down for the weekend. I enjoyed it so much and wondered if I could get work.

“Colin said ‘we’ll get you work’. That was the start of a new life. “Our son Gerard was about 18 months at the time and the plan was to stay in the US until it was time for him to go to school and then go home. But five more children and 36 years later we are still here,” laughs Bourke.

The Bourke family now boasts five grandchildren as well as their three sons (Gerard, Pauric and Shane) and three daughters (Sinead, Sarah and Erin).

Patrick Bourke  with Thomas Higgins of Galway

Pat Bourke has his own painting business and has been joined by his son, Gerard, while Ann ran a childcare business and now devotes most of her time to babysitting duties with her grandchildren.

Bourke, who will be 60 on his next birthday, was always interested in sport while in Donegal, playing for both St Naul’s and also an active member of South Donegal Harriers Athletic Club. He even transferred to Naomh Brid for a season when he was living in Laghey while he was building a house in Drimarone.

“When I arrived in Philadelphia I went to the games first and then played a bit of junior football. As time went on I got involved in the administration side of things taking various positions. I have just stepped down as club chairman.”

Recently at the Awards Night, St Pat’s GAA Club in Philadelphia honoured the long involvement by Bourke with the club with a special Honoree Award.

It was the first awards night for the club in three years because of Covid. Apart from Bourke’s award, the Young Player of the Year went to Christopher McMeel from Tyrone with a Fanad mother.

Bourke likes to get back home as often as he can and is planning a trip back to Donegal during the summer. Like most emigrants, he retains a wealth of knowledge and names of the people he grew up with and especially those who he participated alongside in sport during the 1970s and 1980s.