Background
Burke was born in the parish of Annaghdown.
Burke was born in the parish of Annaghdown.
He emigrated to the United States of America as a young man, settling in Brooklyn, New New York There he worked as a carpenter, "developed into a skilful draughtsman, and eventually became a successful and prosperous builder." He gained a reputation as a piper of distinction, playing the uilleann pipes primarily for himself, or "the entertainment of his friends, and invariably in his own home."
Captain Francis O"Neill relied heavily upon him as an informant for other Irish pipers of the 1800s, many of whom Burke was acquainted. Burke was a descendant of William de Burgh (c 1157–1206).