Multyfarnham honours memory of historian Fr Paul Walsh
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Fr Conor McGee, Bishop Paul Connell, Nollaig Ó Muraíle, historian, and John and Nora O’Reilly, StrikeBox Engineering, who crafted the plaque in honour of Fr Paul Walsh.Image 2 of 10
Bishop Paul Connell and Fr Conor McGee unveiled the commorative plaque in honour of Fr Paul Walsh in honour of Fr Paul Walsh in Multyfarnham on Sunday.Image 3 of 10
Sr Philomena and Bishop Connell.Image 4 of 10
Sr Philomena Gallagher with her cousin Mary Casey at the unveiling of the plaque in honour of their relative Fr Paul Walsh in the Rock Cemetery in Multyfarnham on Sunday.Image 5 of 10
Carmel Glennon and cousin Teresa (Casey) Kelly at the unveiling of the plaque dedicated to their relative Fr Paul Walsh.Image 6 of 10
Jimmy Casey and Michael King, cousins and relative of the late Fr Paul Walsh, on the occasion of the unveiling of a plaque in the Rock in his honour.Image 7 of 10
Bishop Paul Connell chatting to historians Peter Wallace and Nolliag Ó Muraíle.Image 8 of 10
Carmela Farrelly, Lizzie Leavey and Sr Patricia Conway in The Rock Cemetery for the unveiling of the plaque on Sunday.Image 9 of 10
Sean Farrelly, Paschal Fagan, and Michael King.Image 10 of 10
Altar servers Tia Tom, Arthur Manning and Cillian Mulhern with Bishop Paul Connell and Fr Conor McGee on Sunday in St Nicholas Church prior to the unveiling of the commemorative plaque.Multyfarnham celebrated the historian and scholar Fr Paul Walsh on Sunday when Bishop Paul Connell unveiled a commemorative plaque in St Peter’s Cemetery, The Rock.
Despite the foggy conditions, St Nicholas Church was full to capacity to hear Bishop Connell share his words of wisdom with the attentive congregation of friends and relatives of the deceased former parish priest and renowned scholar Fr Walsh.
Bishop Connell said the Fr Paul knew the importance of preserving the past. He drew parallels with the Gospel on the importance of the distinction between knowledge and wisdom, with the precious gift of preserving history, language, and culture.
Fr Walsh was the parish priest in Multyfarnham from 1932 until his death in 1941. He was laid to rest in The Rock Cemetery, and it is there that the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, after 11am Mass on Sunday, November 8, addressed the congregation.
Fr Walsh is remembered as a diligent scholar who produced original research on many aspects of Irish history, and who published some 300 journal articles, as well as more than 20 books, including ‘The Place names of Westmeath’ and ‘Flight of the Earls’.
Colm O’Lochlainn stated, ‘here never lived any Irish historian who had a fuller or more intimate knowledge of the history of Ireland, during the years of the Norman Conquest to the Williamite wars.’
The plaque dedicated to this scholarly man, Paul Walsh, was crafted by Strike Box engineer John O’Reilly and has content from historian Nollaig Ó Muraíle.
Bishop Connell remarked that “death does not have the last word” in that we now have an opportunity to show gratitude for Fr Walsh’s legacy.