A well-known and much loved community volunteer has been given the honour of leading this year's St Patrick's Day parade.

Cathal Walshe (76), a retired member of An Garda Síochána, has devoted his whole life to voluntary community work and to helping and supporting others.

He will also be allocated the VIP berth on the reviewing stand on Main Street.

A native of Galway city, Cathal was a Garda in Killarney from 1970 until his retirement in 2003, working initially on the beat and as the patrol car driver before he joined the scenes of crime team and, finally, becoming Juvenile Liaison Officer. And it was the latter role, working closely with schools throughout south and east Kerry, that gave him the most job satisfaction.

Graduating from Templemore in 1966, prior to transferring to Killarney he spent three months based in Castleisland and three years in Farranfore.

In terms of his commitment to community life, Cathal has no equal as he spends almost all of his time helping local organisations, charities and community groups in any way he can.

Cathal has been the PRO for the hugely successful Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle for an astonishing 40 years and he has played a huge part in the event by helping to raise a whopping €18.6 million for various charities.

He cycled the event himself on 19 occasions but, these days, he leaves that task to his son, Enda, who is becoming a Ring of Kerry veteran in his own right.

Cathal also sets the questions and fills the role of quizmaster for numerous fundraising table quizzes and he spearheaded the annual quiz for the Irish Pilgrimage Trust, which has been running for 20 years.

Many years ago Cathal launched the Killarney Sports Stars Awards which he ran for 13 years, honouring the area’s great achievers in the various sporting arenas, both nationally and locally.

Other events Cathal has been closely associated with over the years include the establishment of the Torc Youth Club and Woodlawn Youth Club. He is a member of the board of management at Gaelscoil Faithleann, PRO for both the Kerry Hospice and the Darkness into Light walk and he is also very involved with the Kerry Comfort for Chemo organisation.

A passionate sports fan, Cathal is also an officer with the Gleneagle Pitch and Putt Club and he is a GAA season ticket holder, seldom missing a Kerry game no matter where they are playing.

He also served on Killarney Town Council for nine years but retired from active politics in 2014 and he had a stint as chairman of the Killarney Drugs Liaison Committee.

Cathal, the father of two boys, Finbarr and Enda, and a grandfather of four, married Tralee native June Moriarty in 1970 but, sadly, his life-long companion passed away in August 2020.

HONOUR

He said he considers it a wonderful honour to be asked to be grand marshal for the parade and he is really looking forward to the occasion.

“I love being involved in the community and I’m a firm believer in the old saying that life is like an echo in that what you give you get. It’s never too soon to do an act of kindness because you never know how soon it could be too late,” said Cathal who was honoured with a Radio Kerry-Fexco Kerry Hero award last Christmas.

Remarkably fit and full of energy, despite having fought his own battle with serious illness last year, undergoing major surgery and chemotherapy for bowel cancer, Cathal said his recipe for a great life is physical exercise, a good diet, sleep without medication, retaining a sense of humour and remembering that life itself dictates that there will be days when you will laugh and days when you will cry.

St Patrick’s Festival Chairman, Paul Sherry, said Cathal is a most worthy recipient of the honour of leading the parade in Killarney given what he has done for the town and its people for over half a century.