*The late Willie Walsh.
EFFORTS to name a newly created plaza in Ennis in memory of the late Bishop Willie Walsh are underway.
In February, Bishop Willie Walsh died at the age of ninety peacefully but suddenly in his Ennis home. The Roscrea native spent his entire priesthood ministering in Ennis, Co Clare, in St Flannan’s College, in the Cathedral Parish, as Bishop of the Diocese of Killaloe from 1994 to 2010 and in retirement in recent years.
Over the last eight months, the loss of Willie Walsh has been keenly felt across Co Clare.
Cllr Mary Howard (FG) in a proposal before the Ennis Municipal District requested that “the new plaza in front of Saints Peter & Paul Cathedral” in Ennis be named the Bishop Willie Walsh Plaza. She remembered him as “a student, teacher and bishop in this town, he was well known for his love of gaelic games in St Flannan’s College, Éire Óg and Clare”.
Walsh’s link to the Cathedral included his ordination and funeral taking place there, Cllr Howard said. “In his time as Bishop had the courage to admit the wrongs of the Catholic Church,” she stated. That he chose to live in Ennis during his retirement showed how much the town meant to him, Mary believed.
Senior engineer Seán Lenihan in his response said following agreement from members he would forward the proposal to the Memorials Committee and Placenames Committee of Clare County Council. “One point of note, however, from the Memorials Committee Policy, is the reference that persons being commemorated should be deceased for at least 10 years deeming this suggestion somewhat premature”.
Work in front of the Cathedral as part of the €11.5m public realm work scheme has “received significant compliments,” Lenihan noted.
Backing the proposal as “a fantastic idea,” Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua commented, “He was a true gentleman, he carried out his vocation with quite kindness, he never sought praise”. She said, “Naming the plaza in his honour would not only mark his contributions but serve as a lasting reminder of his kindness and generosity. He would be embarrassed by it but it is fitting for a man who gave so much and asked for so little in return”.
Chair of the Memorials Committee, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) admitted, “I am not aware of the ten year limitation that Seán refers to, we have put plaques on benches for people who have died within a year. This will be received well”. Lenihan told the meeting, “I was only pointing out in my response the rules or regulations required, I am in no way negative or against it”.
Bishop Willie for a time was a neighbour of Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) when he lived on College Grove, “he was an absolute gentleman, when people tried to sell their home, they used to say the bishop lived in the area”.
A past pupil of Walsh’ in St Flannan’s College, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) also worked alongside him with Éire Óg. “Not only was he the Bishop of Killaloe but he was the parish priest of Ennis, he an early morning mass man and he went to the Cathedral every morning”.
Clarity was sought by Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) on whether the Walsh family had been consulted. “Some very famous people all over the world left it in their dying wishes that no place be named after them, has this proposal been run past his family and clergy people? There are some very famous people who did tireless work and turned over dictatorships but asked that areas not be named after them”.
Consultation with the family is important, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) agreed while voicing his support. “Ye should know I do my due diligence, I spoke with the Church who spoke with the family, they are 100% behind it,” responded Cllr Howard.
