Brian Patrick Burns (July 12, 1936 – August 12, 2021) was an American entrepreneur, attorney and philanthropist. A leader in the Irish-American community, Burns was a distinguished collector of Irish art. In December 2016, Maggie Haberman of The New York Times reported that then president-elect Donald Trump intended to name Burns as the next United States Ambassador to Ireland. However, in June 2017, Burns withdrew his name from consideration, due to ill health.