Ulick Bourke : Short Biography

Canon Ulick Joseph Bourke was born in Castlebar, County Mayo, on the 29th of December 1829. He was educated at Errew Monastery before attending St Jarlath's College in Tuam, County Galway. He then went on to study at Maynooth College in County Kildare. 

On the 25th of March, 1858, Bourke was ordained as a Catholic priest. When he had completed his education in Maynooth, he was appointed as the Professor of Irish logic and humanities at St Jarlath's in Tuam, even serving as president of the college from 1865 to 1878. In 1872, he was named as Canon of Tuam.

Bourke was heavily involved in the Gaelic Revival. As a scholar of the Irish language, he published a number of works both in, and pertaining to the use of, the language. In 1866 he became a member of the Royal Irish Academy. He was a founding member of the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language, and helped to establish the Gaelic Union, which later became the Gaelic League and was responsible for publishsing the Gaelic Journal. 

In July 1879, Bourke arranged a mass meeting to discuss the Land War. He then served on the committee for the Land League for that year. 

Bourke was also one of the people assigned with investigating the Knock apparitions. 

Canon Ulick Joseph Bourke died on the 22nd of November 1887 at the age of 57. He is buried in Claremorris in his native Mayo.