Fintan Walsh, a native of Ballylinan, played hurling and football at intercounty level for Laois and won two Railway Cup football medals with Leinster lining out with many of the great names of the game. He captained Erin’s Hopes to victory in the Dublin Senior Football Championship in 1956, a team that included such names as Tom Long and Mattie McDonagh. Fintan joined Clan na Gael and won a Dublin senior football Championship in 1968 when his teammates included Mickey Whelan and Paddy Holden of Dublin fame and Kerry’s Donie O’Sullivan. Fintan was named on the Laois Football Team of the Century.
However, notwithstanding his many achievements as a player, it is as a teacher and a Cumann na mBunscol activist that Fintan made his greatest contribution.
Fintan spent the first five years of his teaching career in his native Laois before taking up a post in Mary Queen of Angels NS in Ballyfermot. He later moved to St Mary’s BNS in Rathfarnham where he taught until retirement. He was centrally involved in all sporting matters in the school and golfer Paul McGinley is just one who speaks of Fintan’s influence. In 1978, Fintan was involved in the Frank Cahill Cup final in Croke Park and was involved with both finalists as St Mary’s entered two teams in the competition. Both teams reached the final!
Fintan served on the Committee of Cumann na mBunscol in Dublin for many years. He was National Chairman from 1995 to 1998, Secretary from 1986 to 1991
and vice Chairman from 1992 to 1995. Fintan was selected as winner of the Pat Trainor Award for Lifetime Contribution to Cumann na mBunscol in 2008. In 2010, Fintan was the fourth recipient of the Friends of Dublin Hurling Hall of Fame Award, following in the footsteps of Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin, Jimmy Grey and Jimmy Boggan.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh sé.
