Declining Health and Death
On 5 April 1974, The Dubliners travelled down to Eastbourne where they were appearing in concert. Luke was worried by the way Ciarán kept moving his head about, as if trying to alleviate increasing pain. Four minutes into the second half, it was decided he could not continue with the show. Luke insisted that a doctor should be phoned and instructed to await their return to the Irish Club at Eaton Square. The roadie for the trip, John Corry, thought that it was better to drive straight to St. George's Hospital at Hyde Park Corner, where the doctors diagnosed a brain aneurysm. Ciarán was transferred to the Atkinson Morley Hospital in Wimbledon, while doctors waited for his wife to return from a trip to Ghana, to get her signature before operating. She was told that there was danger of further hemorrhaging. Ciarán was operated on at the earliest opportunity. The bleeding began again while he was on the table which meant that they could not repair the damage, just staunch the bleeding. This left him paralysed down his left side and confused as to where he was and what had happened.
Ciarán received intensive therapy, attending a clinic in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin. He was heartened by his progress and insisted on rejoining the Dubliners on their next tour of the Continent in November that year.
Ciarán's continued insistence that he was fit enough to join them on the forthcoming German tour caused them considerable disquiet. They preferred he ease himself back to work, with a few small shows in Ireland. The tour gradually began to take its toll on Ciarán, and it was decided that for the sake of his health he should return home. He flew from Brussels to Dublin.
Bourke made his last public appearance on Ireland's RTÉ One during The Late Late Show tribute to The Dubliners in 1987. Despite his lingering paralyse he recited The Lament for Brendan Behan after which everyone in the studio, lead by Ronnie Drew, sang The Auld Triangle.
Ciarán Bourke died on 10 May 1988 after a long illness. From 1974 until his death he had continued to be paid by the band. A fifth member of the group was not recruited until after his death.
Read more about this topic: Ciaran Bourke
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