Wesley Burrowes (died 31 December 2015, aged 85)

A full obituary, which appeared in the Irish News on 02 January 2016, can be found here. For additional tributes visit the RTÉ and the Irish Times websites.

Arthur Wesley Burrowes, the creator of the long-running RTÉ rural drama Glenroe, died in December 2015 following a long illness.

Born in Bangor, Wesley was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Queen's, from where he graduated in 1952 with a BA in French and German.

After graduating, he moved to Dublin to work for an insurance company. In 1959, he changed jobs to Córas Tráchtála, an Irish government body which promoted exports before leaving to become a full-time writer in 1963.

The following year Wesley got his big break in television when he was employed as a script writer on the RTÉ drama series, Tolka Row. Then, in 1966, he became editor and chief script writer for the station's long-running rural soap opera, The Riordans, penning over 300 weekly scripts between then and 1979 when the show’s run ended. 

In 1983, he created the RTÉ drama serial for which he will be most remembered, Glenroe. The much-loved programme ran on Sunday evenings until May 2001.

In addition to his television and radio work, he wrote theatre productions including the musical Carrie, The Becauseway and Affluence, scripted screenplays for the movies Rat and Mystics, composed Ireland's entry for the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest If I Could Choose (which finished second), and played bridge, representing Ireland at international level.

Wesley Burrowes is survived by his wife Helena, son Kim, daughter Ciara, son-in-law Kieran and daughter-in-law Aoife.

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