The couple then returned to Ireland where Quirke joined the newly formed Fianna Fáil party.
[1] A farmer, he was also a partner of Stokes and Quirke, an auctioneering firm with offices in Dublin, Clonmel, Fethard and London and was for a time a director with the Agricultural Credit Corporation and Butlin's Irish Associates.
[6] In 1947 three gentlemen representing a company called Trans-World retained the services of Stokes and Quirke to buy Locke's whiskey distillery in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath.
They managed to secure an appointment to have tea with the President Seán T. O'Kelly, which was photographed, as they appealed for extra time before putting down their initial down payment of IR£75,000.
As the weeks passed people became suspicious of their backgrounds and the Minister for Justice, Gerald Boland, ordered an investigation which resulted in their arrests.
[8] The resulting by-election to fill the vacancy caused by the death was held on 14 May 1956, and was won by Joe Sheridan of Fine Gael.