Nicholas Walsh (died 1585) was

Bishop of Ossory The Bishop of Ossory () is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient of Kingdom of Ossory in the Provinces of Ireland, Province of Leinster, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remain ...

in the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...

, noted for having introduced prayer-books and catechisms printed in the

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

. He began the work of translating the Bible into Irish but was not able to complete this before his murder in 1585. The son of Patrick Walsh,

Bishop of Waterford and Lismore The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Waterford and town of Lismore, County Waterford, Lismore in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland ...

, Nicholas Walsh was consecrated a priest in 1567. He introduced prayer-books and catechisms printed in Irish. He was appointed Chancellor of

St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Saint Patrick's Cathedral ( ir, Ard-Eaglais Naomh Pádraig) in Dublin, Ireland, founded in 1191 as a Roman Catholic cathedral, is currently the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Christ Church Cathedral, also a Church of Ireland ca ...

, in 1571 and

in 1578. Starting in 1573, Walsh worked on translating the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

into Irish. Walsh's efforts came to an end when he was stabbed to death in his house in

Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...

by a disaffected member of his flock on 14 December 1585.Ware, Sir James, translated by Walter Harris (1736 edn). ''Writers of Ireland'' (Dublin: Ebenezer Rider): "Nicholas Walsh, Bishop of Ossory, writ Learned Sermons in Latin, yet extant in his own Hand Writing. He also attempted the translation of the New Testament, into Irish about the Year 1573, but his Design was Prevented by a horrid Murther committed on him in 1585." (Chap. XII). He was succeeded in his translation effort by his assistant John Kearney and by

Nehemiah Donnellan Nehemiah Donnellan (a.k.a. Fearganainm Ó Domhnalláin) (fl. c. 1560-1609) was Archbishop of Tuam. Background Donellan was born in the county of Galway, a son of Mael Sechlainn Ó Dónalláin, by his wife Sisly, daughter of William Ó Cellaigh o ...

and William Daniel (Uilliam Ó Domhnaill), successive

Archbishops of Tuam The Archbishop of Tuam ( ; ga, Ard-Easpag Thuama) is an archbishop which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Catholic Church. Histor ...

References

Anglican bishops of Ossory Translators of the Bible into Irish 1585 deaths Year of birth missing 16th-century translators People of Elizabethan Ireland People from Waterford (city) 16th-century Irish Anglican priests {{Ireland-RC-bishop-stub