Your Irish Ancestry Walsh 1992 VHS
There are several Walsh families in Ireland who have recognized coats of arms. These are the Walshs of Ballykilcaven in County Laois whose motto is “Firm” and their crest is a griffin’s head. The Walshs of Castlehale in County Kilkenny have a crest with a swan pierced by an arrow, and their motto is “Pierced but not dead”. The Walshs of Carrickmines Castle, County Dublin have a crest with a demi-lion rampant and their motto is “Do not irritate the lions”. However, there were Walshs all over Ireland. One theory as to their origin is that they have a common ancestor in ‘Walynus’ who came to Ireland in the military retinue of Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan and it is from ‘Walynus’ who the famed Walsh of the Mountains family in County Kilkenny was established. Other sources suggest ‘Phillip of Wales’ who could have been the same person as ‘Walynus’ whose son, Howel, gave his name to their stronghold Castle Hoel, which was also known as Castlehale or Castlehowel. Other theories are that the Walshs originated from Pembrokeshire, that they had close ties with the barons of Cornwall or that they descended from Owen Gwynnes, a prince of north Wales.
During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, William Walsh was taken prisoner after the siege of Crean’s Castle in Sligo.
During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms the Walsh of the Mountains family in Kilkenny took up arms against Oliver Cromwell and as a result, their stronghold of Castlehale was besieged and taken in 1650. The survivors were executed and thrown into a burial pit at the bottom of a hill near the castle. In the nineteenth century, their remains were uncovered during road building near the hill.
According to John Grenham writing in 1993, Walsh was then among the five most numerous surnames in Ireland
Credit to : Irish Medieval History