The worlds of cricket and rugby were shocked today at the untimely death of Ian Burns (58). The former YMCA player died on holidays in Co Galway.
‘Burnsie’ played for Ireland Schools at cricket and played in 12 senior interprovincials. He won seven cups and three leagues with YMCA, and was captain of the 1990 side that won the league/cup double. His two other stints as captain, 1987 and 1994, also saw the cup returning to Claremont Road.
In his 16 year career from 1972-98 he saw his club grow from perennial stugglers to win seven cups in ten years, with the strongest batch of young talent seen in the province in decades. The five home-grown internationals in Alan Lewis, Angus Dunlop, Mark Nulty, Stewart Taylor and Keith Bailey, plus recruit Jonathan Garth, needed strong leadership and Ian was one of those who provided it.
He was a handy all-rounder, scoring 5,486 runs and 283 wickets in 287 senior matches, and was good enough to play for a strong South Leinster side in 12 interpros between 1981 and 1991 – his peak on that side was 1998, when he played four times. It was no coincidence that South Leinster won the Guinness Cup that year.
He scored three centuries and 27 fifties for YMCA, and took five wickets in an innings on 14 occasions.
At rugby, he was capped once for Ireland, as a substitute out-half at Twickenham in 1980.
He and John Robbie formed a famous half-back partnership at High School, leading it to its only Leinster Schools Cup in 1973. Burns scored two tries and two drop goals in the 19-7 win over Belvedere.
He later played for Wanderers and was coach of the Ireland Sevens team.
In recent years he was CEO of Barbados-based low-cost airline Redjet but returned to Dublin in 2013.
The sympathies of all in Leinster cricket go to his wife Jackie and children Bobbie, Peter and Nicki