All-Ireland winning Offaly captain has a special connection with a Tipperary GAA club

Offaly and Tipperary played out a spectacular All-Ireland Under 20 hurling final on Saturday last with a narrow victory for the Faithful resulting in Dan Bourke, who scored 1-3, hoisting the Nowlan Cup in front of thrilled supporters. 

A little known fact is that Dan's father was a stalwart of the Moycarkey Borris club for many decades before young Dan grew up in Offaly, and went on to make some history of his own. 

Dan Bourke is a son of Andrew Bourke, a talented hurler who played for Moycarkey-Borris at all grades and captained the Mid-Tipperary club to win the 1986 Mid Minor Hurling title.

That team eventually lost out to Toomevara in a county Minor hurling final replay however the run to the county final is still fondly remembered around Littleton and Two-Mile-Borris. 

Dan, who played a key role for Offaly at the weekend, is a stylish forward and is also a member of the Offaly senior hurling team, who will play in the Joe McDonagh Cup against Laois this weekend.

It is an exciting time for the family with plenty of hurling silverware on offer at present and while Dan's father is from Tipperary, his mother Madge hails from Laois, the county that will face Offaly in that upcoming final at Croke Park.

Dan's parents both worked in Clara which brought them to Offaly where they then settled in Durrow - where the Under 20 winning captain grew up.

The Bourke household will travel en masse to Dublin next weekend, and all in Moycarkey Borris wish him well in his next title decider, no doubt.