William Joseph Walsh served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin from July 3, 1885 until his death in 1921. He was born in 11 Essex Quay in Dublin. He was educated at St. Laurence O’Toole Seminary School, Harcourt St., Dublin, the Catholic University of Ireland

Catholic University of Ireland

The Catholic University of Ireland was a Catholic university in Dublin, Ireland and was founded in 1851 following the Synod of Thurles in 1850, and in response to the Queen's University of Ireland and its associated colleges which were nondenominational...

 and St. Patrick's College, Maynooth where he became Professor of Theology in 1867. He was appointed vice-president of Maynooth in 1878 and president in 1880 until he was appointed Archbishop of Dublin.

He was sympathetic to Irish Nationalism and advocated Home Rule

Home rule

Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....

 and agrarian land reform.

Walsh served on the Senate of the Royal University of Ireland

Royal University of Ireland

The Royal University of Ireland was founded in accordance with the University Education Act 1879 as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the University of London. A Royal Charter was issued on April 27, 1880 and examinations were opened to candidates irrespective of...

 (1883-4) and as part of the Commission of National Education (1885–1901).

He was appointed Chancellor of the newly founded National University of Ireland

National University of Ireland

The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...

 in 1908, a position he held until he died when he was succeeded by Éamon de Valera

Éamon de Valera

Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...

.

Publications

• A Plain Exposition of the Irish Land Act of 1881 (1881)
• The Queen's Colleges and the Royal University of Ireland (1883-4)
• The Irish University Question (1897)
• Trinity College and the University of Dublin (1902)
• Trinity College and its Medical School (1906).

External links

• Chancellors of the NUI - National University of Ireland website
• William Walsh (1885 - 1921) - Dublin Diocese website