Walsh Unpacking Centuries Of History In A Common Surname - Kostenloses Hörbuch

The ancient origin of the name Walsh was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. The

name Walsh is taken from the translation of the Gaelic word 'Breathnach', meaning

'Welsh'. Variants include Walshe, Brannagh, Brannick, Welsh, Walch, Welch, Walsman

and Walshman. The Walshs descend from Philip the Welshman and his brother David who

arrived into Ireland with the Anglo-Norman invasion in the year 1172. They established

themselves as landed Gentry at Castlehowel, County Kilkenny, at Ballykileavan, County

Leix, at Ballyrichmore, County Waterford and at Bray and Carrickmines near Dublin. The

most important territory of the Walshs was in Wexford and in County Kilkenny where the

Walsh mountains bear their name. This name was also adopted by a number of Gaelic

septs, independently of each other, when they anglicized their native name after the

sixteenth century.The Walsh family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many

centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the

eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries

prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible

for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of

arms, including Walsh descendants.