Matthew Walsh : Short Biography

We don't know much about Matthew's life in Ireland before he emigrated. He may have been before the courts because of the rape of Mary Treacy on 8 March 1838 n the townland of Tully reported in the Irish Constabulary's Outrages.

Matthew Walsh and his wife, Mary nee Brady, arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 26 December 1841 on board the Lady Clark. Also accompanying them was their newborn infant, Kate Walsh, who had been born on the ship. They left behind their first baby, a son called Luke, who was baptised in Nov 1840 at Elphin Cathedral and died some time before September 1841. They had been living in the townland of Culleen (later Killeen) at that time. Matthew was listed on the passenger list of the Lady Clark as coming from Tully, Roscommon.

On arrival, Matthew and Mary travellled to Bathurst, a town in inland NSW, which became a gold-rush town in 1856. Matthew took up a position as a farm labourer with Major-General William Stewart at Mount Pleasant near Bathurst. In 1856 he applied for and gained the first of several Publican Licences. Matthew and Mary Brady had 8 more children after Luke and Kate. They were Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Matthew jnr born 1847 (my great-grandfather), John, Patrick Joseph, Bridget, Jane and Thomas. Some time around 1863 Matthew ran away with the barmaid from his pub, Catherine Williams, and had a second family of 9 children with her in the Goulburn/Young area of New South Wales. Meanwhile his wife, Mary nee Brady, died of stomach cancer in Bathurst in 1869. She had continued to run various pubs on her own in order to support her young family. Matthew then married Catherine in 1871. The photo supplied with this summary is from that day.

Matthew's occupations were farm labourer and groom. He was a very feisty character. A story is told by descendants that on the ship coming out to Australia he entered a competition to see who could dance the Irish jig on a tin plate for the longest time. His pregnant wife is said to have threatened to set fire to his shirt tails if he didn't stop. He also dressed up in his son's suit to go and collect the Government Old Age Pension, which had only just been legislated. The official said he was too well dressed to need a pension. He is also said to have hated the English and refused to stand up for God Save the Queen.

Matthew died in Young, New South Wales at the age of 86,  two days before Christmas in 1904. Because of the hot weather he was buried on Christmas Day in Young. We have not been able to identify his grave. One of the children of his second marriage, Ann McNamara, nee Walsh, lived to the grand old age of 103. She told many stories about her early life and her parents.