Sean Bourke
Encyclopedia
Sean Bourke from Limerick
, helped Michael Randle
and Pat Pottle
to arrange the 22 October 1966 prison escape of the Soviet spy, George Blake
.
Bourke later joined Blake in Moscow but then returned to Ireland where he was interviewed on television and published his own account of the escape. Britain sought his extradition but this was denied by the Irish courts on the grounds that arranging the escape was a political act.
As a boy of 12, Bourke was sentenced to three years in Daingean
reformatory in October 1947.
Subsequently, he spent time in Wormwood Scrubs
prison in Britain, which is where he met Randle, Pottle and Blake.
Sean Bourke appears as a character in Simon Gray
's play Cell Mates
, which tells the story of Blake's escape from Wormwood Scrubs and Bourke's subsequent visit to Moscow. In the original production Bourke was played by Rik Mayall
.
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, helped Michael Randle
Michael Randle
Dr. Michael Randle is best known as a peace campaigner and peace researcher, one of the pioneers of nonviolent direct action in Britain, and also for his role in helping the Soviet spy George Blake escape from a British prison in 1966....
and Pat Pottle
Pat Pottle
Patrick Pottle was a founder member of the Committee of 100, an anti-nuclear direct action group which broke away from CND....
to arrange the 22 October 1966 prison escape of the Soviet spy, George Blake
George Blake
George Blake is a former British spy known for having been a double agent in the service of the Soviet Union. Discovered in 1961 and sentenced to 42 years in prison, he escaped from Wormwood Scrubs prison in 1966 and fled to the USSR...
.
Bourke later joined Blake in Moscow but then returned to Ireland where he was interviewed on television and published his own account of the escape. Britain sought his extradition but this was denied by the Irish courts on the grounds that arranging the escape was a political act.
As a boy of 12, Bourke was sentenced to three years in Daingean
Daingean
Daingean , formerly Philipstown, is a small town in east County Offaly, Ireland. It is situated midway between the towns of Tullamore and Edenderry on the R402 regional road. The town or townland of Daingean has a population of 777 while the District Electoral Division has a total population of...
reformatory in October 1947.
Subsequently, he spent time in Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs, is an open space located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the Borough, at 80 ha , and one of the largest areas of common land in London...
prison in Britain, which is where he met Randle, Pottle and Blake.
Sean Bourke appears as a character in Simon Gray
Simon Gray
Simon James Holliday Gray, CBE , was an English playwright and memoirist who also had a career as a university lecturer in English literature at Queen Mary, University of London, for 20 years...
's play Cell Mates
Cell Mates (play)
Cell Mates is a play by Simon Gray. It opened at the Albery Theatre, London on 17 February 1995, starring Stephen Fry and Rik Mayall, with Gray himself directing. Despite having performed successfully for several weeks during the pre-London warm up dates in Guildford and Watford, Fry left the...
, which tells the story of Blake's escape from Wormwood Scrubs and Bourke's subsequent visit to Moscow. In the original production Bourke was played by Rik Mayall
Rik Mayall
Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall is an English comedian, writer, and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s...
.