Tributes have been paid to island advocate John Walsh, who has died at the age of 55.
As The Sunday Independent reports, Walsh of Bere Island, West Cork, was a tireless and inspiring champion of offshore communities in both Ireland and Europe.
Elected as chair of the European Small Islands Network (ESIN), he ensured that issues affecting offshore communities were heard in Dublin and at EU level in Brussels.
Walsh was “first and foremost a family man, who was very proud of his three children”, according to close friend Rhoda Twombly, secretary of the Irish Islands Federation, Comhdháil Oileáin na hEireann and ESIN.
After family, his community was his passion and “his strength”, having moved to Bere Island at the age of 17 to work his uncle’s farm.
As Bere island’s representative on Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann, he collaborated with fellow island development workers to strengthen the case for infrastructural improvements, while also recognising that both island farmers and fishers had a special case to make, Twombly told the newspaper.
He was instrumental in forming Bere Island Community Radio and initiating the island’s “park run” group. He was also a founder member of the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation (IIMRO), which represented islanders from counties Donegal, Mayo, Galway, and Cork.
He was elected to the chairmanship of ESIN in 2019, after serving as Ireland’s representative for years.
“ John’s determination – with a generous dash of charm and good will – opened doors in Brussels and created recognition of the challenges faced by all small islands,”Twombly said.
For the past year, he had been working full-time with Atlantic Towage and Marine owned by Sean Harrington.
A striking “honour arc” of water jets from one of the company tugs formed part of a flotilla accompanying Walsh’s coffin to Bere island for burial on June 25th.
Tributes have been paid to him by many State agencies, including Fáilte Ireland and Teagasc, and The Skipper magazine has described him as “a great champion of Irish islanders and a true gentleman”.
John Walsh is survived by his wife, Sheila, son Adam, daughters Laura and Aoife, his brother Laurence, his sisters Angela O’Leary and Caroline O’Sullivan and extended family.
Read The Sunday Independent here
