Away from this family links he has also been greatly influenced by Irish musicians such as the Pogues, Christy Moore and the Undertones.
He has even played guitar as former Undertones front man Feargal Sharkey performed their greatest hit, Teenage Kicks.
During his time as mayor of Manchester, Burnham worked closely with the Irish diaspora and attended many cultural events.
He also visited Dublin many times meeting the then President Michael Higgins and other leading politicians as he sought to improve Anglo-Irish relations post Brexit.
But Burnham will also be well aware of the political pit falls when questioned about such sensitive topics as Irish reunification and a border poll.
Expect him to sidestep such tricky questions and instead talk up the importance of building relationships and respecting the Good Friday Agreement.
