John Edward Walsh (12 November 1816 – 20 October 1869) was an Irish lawyer and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician. He served as

Attorney-General for Ireland The Attorney-General for Ireland was an Kingdom of Ireland, Irish and then, from 1801 under the Acts of Union 1800, United Kingdom government office-holder. He was senior in rank to the Solicitor-General for Ireland: both advised the Crown on ...

in 1866 and as

Master of the Rolls in Ireland The Master of the Rolls in Ireland was a senior judicial office in the Irish Chancery under English and British rule, and was equivalent to the Master of the Rolls in the English Chancery. Originally called the Keeper of the Rolls, he was respon ...

from 1866 to 1869.

Background and education

Walsh was born at

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, where his father, Robert Walsh, was rector. His mother was Anne Bayly. He was educated at Bective College, and matriculated at

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

in July 1832. He was elected a Scholar of the college in 1835, and graduated B.A. in 1836, obtaining a senior moderatorship in ethics and logics and gaining a gold medal. He was a distinguished speaker also at the college

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. Walsh was called to the

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in 1839, and graduated LL.D. in his University in 1845. He published, in collaboration with Richard Nun, Q.C., a work on ''The Powers and Duties of Justices of the Peace in Ireland'', which was long a standard textbook on this subject. He was a reporter in the Court of Chancery from 1843 to 1852; was appointed

Queen's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

in 1857, and Crown Prosecutor for Dublin in 1859.Ireland Sixty Years Ago
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Political, legal and judicial careers

Walsh was Member of Parliament for

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from 1866 to 1867 and served as

from 25 July to 1 November 1866. He was sworn of the

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on 17 August 1866. he left the

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when he was appointed Master of the Rolls in Ireland in 1866, an office he held until his death. It seemed probable that a long and distinguished career lay before him, but it was not to be. In the autumn of 1869 he went on a tour to

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, his health not being very robust. He contracted a

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in the

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and died in

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on his way home on 20 October. He published, in 1847, ''Ireland Sixty Years Ago'', dealing with

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and the first quarter of the 19th century, which was published originally as a series of articles in the

Dublin University Magazine The ''Dublin University Magazine'' was an independent literary cultural and political magazine published in Dublin from 1833 to 1882. It started out as a magazine of political commentary but increasingly became devoted to literature. The magazine ...

. It was afterwards re-issued in 1877 as ''Ireland Ninety Years Ago''.

Family

He married Blair Belinda MacNeill, daughter of Captain Gordon MacNeill of Dublin, in 1841. They had five sons and a daughter. His eldest son Robert Walsh was

Archdeacon of Dublin The Archdeacon of Dublin is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Anglican Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough. The Archdeacon is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy within the Dublin part of the diocese, which is by far ...

from 1909 until 1917. Another son, Henry Deane Walsh, emigrated to

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, where he became one of the foremost engineers of his time, and did much to improve

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Arms

References

* ''Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Vol. I 1832-1885'', edited by Michael Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976) *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, John Edward 1816 births 1869 deaths Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Irish Conservative Party MPs Irish King's Counsel Irish writers Masters of the Rolls in Ireland Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Dublin University Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Politicians from County Dublin Scholars of Trinity College Dublin UK MPs 1865–1868