Bishop Emeritus Willie Walsh has passed away, aged 90.
Ordained Bishop of the Killaloe Diocese in 1994, he served for sixteen years.
Bishop Emeritus Willie Walsh was born on January 16th, 1935 in the parish of Roscrea Co. Tipperary.
The youngest of six children, he attended Corville and Roscrea National schools and received his Secondary School education at St. Flannan’s College in Ennis.
He studied for the priesthood at St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth and the Pontifical Irish College in Rome and was ordained to the priesthood in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome on the 21st February 1959 by Cardinal Luigi Traglia.
After ordination, Bishop Walsh returned to the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome for further studies where he was awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law.
He was appointed to the staff of St. Flannan’s College in Ennis in 1963 and taught Maths, Science, Physics and Religion for 25 years until his appointment as curate at the Cathedral in Ennis in 1988.
In 1990, he was appointed as Administrator of the Cathedral and held that position until he was appointed as Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese on the 21st June 1994.
He was ordained Bishop at the Cathedral in Ennis on the 2nd October 1994, following the unexpected death of Bishop Michael Harty and served as Bishop of the Diocese for sixteen years.
He submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI on reaching his 75th birthday in January 2010 and remained as Bishop of Killaloe until the appointment of Bishop Kieran O’Reilly on May 16th, 2011.
Bishop Walsh was one of the founder members of the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council, (later to become ACCORD) in the Diocese of Killaloe.
During his time as Bishop he worked tirelessly to promote reconciliation and healing and gained world- wide attention for his Pilgrimage of Reconciliation during Advent 1999, when he undertook to walk across the Diocese from Loop Head to Kinnity as a sign of solidarity and repentance to all who had been hurt.
He has had a life-long passion for the sport and in particular hurling and has been involved in coaching hurling teams at club, college and county grades and was appointed President of Clare GAA in 2023.
Bishop Willie Walsh passed away last evening, aged 90, having celebrated his last mass only last month.
In a statement to Clare FM, Bishop Fintan Monahan has said “there’s profound sadness in the diocese” and that “he was dearly loved by the many whose lives he touched in his extraordinary pastoral ministry”.
“His Episcopal motto was Cinéaltas Chríost (The Gentleness of Christ) and his ministry radiated that in his care for the poor, anyone who was in trouble and anyone struggling in life.
“He was passionate about hurling and was central to the success of many teams in St Flannan’s College, Éire Óg club in Ennis and Co. Clare.
“He will be sadly missed by his family who meant so much to him, by his wide circle of friends and clergy and laity in the diocese of Killaloe,” Bishop Monahan said.
May he rest in peace.
You can hear more from Bishop Fintan Monahan on the passing of Bishop Walsh on Clare FM’s Morning Focus from 9.45 this Thursday morning.
