Church Catholic Successor Noel Treanor Previous post Bishop of Roscrea Role Bishop of Down and Connor Consecration May 15, 1983 | Name Patrick Walsh Ordination February 25, 1956 In office 1991–2008 Predecessor Cahal Daly | |
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See Diocese of Down and Connor Born 9 April 1931 (age 92)
Cobh, Irish Free State ( 1931-04-09 ) Education Queen's University Belfast, Christ's College, Cambridge | ||
Patrick Joseph Walsh (born 9 April 1931), is an Irish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and from 1991 until 2008 he was the 31st Bishop of Down & Connor. Dr Walsh was born in 1931 at Cobh, Irish Free State. When he was 11 years old, his RIC father moved the family to Belfast, Northern Ireland.
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Career
He attended St Marys CBGS Belfast and won university scholarships in both Science and Literature. He entered St. Malachy's College as a seminarian and then attended Queen's University, Belfast. During Philosophy studies at Queen's he was taught by the future Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Cahal Daly. He then studied Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome and completed a Licentiate in Sacred Theology and was ordained priest on 25 February 1956. After ordination Bishop Daniel Mageean sent him for further studies to St Edmund's College, Cambridge (then known as St Edmund's House). He completed a M.Sc. in Mathematics at Christ's College, Cambridge since St Edmund's was at the time unable to matriculate students of its own. He subsequently achieved another M.Sc. from Queen's University, Belfast.
He was assigned as a mathematics teacher at St MacNissi's College, Garron Tower from 1958–64. He was then Chaplain, along with Fr Ambrose Macaulay, at Queen's University, Belfast from 1964–1970.
President of St. Malachy's College
In 1970 he was appointed President of St. Malachy's College and served in this role until he became a bishop in 1983. Thereafter he served as Chairman of the Board of Governors for the college for many years.
Bishop
In 1983, with Dr Anthony Farquhar he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of The Diocese of Down and Connor and was consecrated on 15 May by Bishop Cahal Daly, Archbishop Gaetano Alibrandi and Bishop William Philbin. He was given the titular see of Ros Cré. His Episcopal Motto is 'Ex Animo Operari', to work with one's heart (Col 3:24).
In 1991, on the elevation of the then Bishop of Down & Connor Cahal Daly as Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Walsh became the 31st Bishop of Down & Connor.
He was the Principal Consecrator of Bishop Michael Dallat and Bishop Donal McKeown.
He was succeeded by Monsignor Noel Treanor on 22 February 2008.