A military display and parade are among the events taking place in Dunnamaggin in Kilkenny today.
The annual Captain Pat Walsh Memorial Weekend is underway there to mark the life and legacy of the GAA man and Irish Volunteer.
Today’s events get underway from 10 o’clock with a mass and military display by the Organisation of Ex-Service Personnel.
One of those involved in the weekend is Canice Hickey who’s been telling KCLR about the man in question:
“The whole idea of the weekend is we’re remembering Pat Walsh who was the leader of the local Volunteers in Dunnamaggin during the Irish War of Independence.
“Pat did an awful lot for Dunnamaggain. It’s a hundred years ago since the start of the War of Independence in Soloheadbeg in Tipperary.
“Pat wasn’t just involved in the War of Independence, he was the founder of the Dunnammagin hurling club as well. This year in the parade we’re going to have 12 clubs from our GAA club.
“He was a firm believer in our country being independent but he also believed that we should have our own culture. A large part of our culture is the GAA.
“It was a time when money wasn’t all that plentiful and Pat went out and he bought the hurleys for the local young people, and bought the sliotars, he also trained the local young people.
He would walk to Kilkenny for the County Board meetings.”
