*The grave of Bishop Willie Walsh. Photograph: John O’Neill

A TRAIL-BLAZER, loyal friend and a man who brought the church forward โ€œhundreds of yearsโ€ in Clare is how county councillors have remembered Bishop Willie Walsh.

Clare Councilโ€™s March meeting was adjourned for a brief spell as a mark of respect to the late Bishop of Killaloe, Willie Walsh.

Bishop of the Diocese of Killaloe from 1994 to 2010, Walsh died peacefully at his home in Ennis on February 19th aged ninety. The Roscrea nativeโ€™s reposal and funeral was attended by thousands with a message of sympathy from Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of Pope Francis read at the funeral.

In 2010 following his retirement as Bishop, a civic reception was held at รras Contae an Chlรกir. In the same chamber on Monday, the March meeting of the local authority was adjourned for fifteen minutes as a mark of respect to the former St Flannanโ€™s College maths and physics teacher.

Proposing the adjournment, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) noted the โ€œhuge contribution to the Diocese of Killaloeโ€ made by Bishop Willie. He admitted that his proposal had not been agreed among the party groupings prior to the meeting but felt it was โ€œappropriateโ€ to acknowledge Walsh. Cllr Hayes stated, โ€œhe was a loyal friend to us all here in every community across the county and the Diocese, he led from the front and he was true to his job and his beliefsโ€.

Seconding the proposal, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) recalled that she spoke with Willie six days before his death and kissed him on the forehead as he was leaving a function, โ€œI told him Iโ€™d see him soonโ€. She said she was in the company of three ninety year olds and was struck by how โ€œhale and heartyโ€ the trio were.

โ€œHe was a crusader even though the title of his book said he wasnโ€™t,โ€ Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) commented while referencing Walshโ€™s memoir โ€˜No Crusaderโ€™. She lauded his work โ€œadvocating for women and domestic violence in the church at a time when it wasnโ€™t spoken aboutโ€. She believed it was fitting that the last event she met him at was organised by Clare Haven, โ€œhe was a trail blazer in that regardโ€.

According to Cllr Pat Daly (FF), โ€œhe was a man of the people, he brought the church forward hundreds of years in this county, he got people to go back to massโ€. The Ennis man informed the meeting that he was a Munster championship at St Flannanโ€™s College while Willie was the team coach. He mentioned that Willie was a former President of ร‰ire ร“g GAA Club and the President of Clare GAA at the time of his death.

Walsh was โ€œa very distant relativeโ€ of Cllr Paul Murphy (FG). โ€œHe fought for the under-privileged and wanted to see justice being servedโ€. He continued, โ€œHe wasnโ€™t popular with the church at all times, he was never afraid to fight for what was rightโ€.

Willieโ€™s move to College Grove in Ennis left the entire estate โ€œdelighted,โ€ Cllr Tom Oโ€™Callaghan (FF) reflected. โ€œHe was an extremely intelligent person, he went through difficult times with the church but did it with dignityโ€.

Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) said she has had few dealings with Walsh during her time in political life over the past eleven years. โ€œI didnโ€™t have much interaction with him in my adult life but I remember him as a positive role model for the church when I was a child, a positive gentleman is what I can remember of him back thenโ€.

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