Wexford man awarded Benemerenti medal from Pope Leo XIV for decades of service to the parish
Dick Walsh was surrounded by family and friends in St Senan's Church in Enniscorthy earlier this month as he received the accolade from Bishop Ger Nash.
'Bene Merenti' is a Latin phrase for 'well-deserving' or 'well-earned.' The medal is a great honour and is given to individuals by the Pope, both clergy and laity, who have made significant contributions to the church.
Speaking on receiving the award, he said it was a great honour: 'I was very grateful to receive the Benemerenti during the vigil Mass last weekend here in St. Senan's Church. It was a wonderful occasion made special by the presence of my family, brothers, relations and parishioners.'
"A special word of thanks to Bishop Ger, Bishop Denis, Fr. Tom, Fr. James, Fr. Billy, Fr. Paddy and Deacon Dermot for their support and kindness, and all those I have come in contact with over the years. Also, the Choir, John, the ladies for the beautiful refreshments we received after Mass in the Community Centre and all those who helped in any way to make the occasion so special,' he added.
A representative of the church said that Dick had contributed to the parish at a very high level.
"Throughout the years, Dick has been deeply involved in all aspects of parish life. His contributions include organizing and assisting with fundraising projects, always offering his help wherever needed. One of his daily acts of service, which he undertakes quietly and without fuss, is the opening and locking of the church—a role he has carried out with unwavering commitment.'
At present, he continues his service as a Eucharistic Minister and Cross Bearer for funerals, and he frequently fulfils the role of voluntary Sacristan. His presence and dedication have been, and continue to be, an invaluable support to the many priests who have ministered at St. Senan's.
'For these reasons, and many more, we sincerely believe that Dick's tireless voluntary work over the years makes him a most deserving candidate for this pontifical honour. It is with great respect and appreciation that we submit this application for the Benemerenti Medal in recognition of his lifelong service,' they added.
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Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Wexford man awarded Benemerenti medal from Pope Leo XIV for decades of service to the parish
Dick Walsh was surrounded by family and friends in St Senan's Church in Enniscorthy earlier this month as he received the accolade from Bishop Ger Nash. 'Bene Merenti' is a Latin phrase for 'well-deserving' or 'well-earned.' The medal is a great honour and is given to individuals by the Pope, both clergy and laity, who have made significant contributions to the church. Speaking on receiving the award, he said it was a great honour: 'I was very grateful to receive the Benemerenti during the vigil Mass last weekend here in St. Senan's Church. It was a wonderful occasion made special by the presence of my family, brothers, relations and parishioners.' "A special word of thanks to Bishop Ger, Bishop Denis, Fr. Tom, Fr. James, Fr. Billy, Fr. Paddy and Deacon Dermot for their support and kindness, and all those I have come in contact with over the years. Also, the Choir, John, the ladies for the beautiful refreshments we received after Mass in the Community Centre and all those who helped in any way to make the occasion so special,' he added. A representative of the church said that Dick had contributed to the parish at a very high level. "Throughout the years, Dick has been deeply involved in all aspects of parish life. His contributions include organizing and assisting with fundraising projects, always offering his help wherever needed. One of his daily acts of service, which he undertakes quietly and without fuss, is the opening and locking of the church—a role he has carried out with unwavering commitment.' At present, he continues his service as a Eucharistic Minister and Cross Bearer for funerals, and he frequently fulfils the role of voluntary Sacristan. His presence and dedication have been, and continue to be, an invaluable support to the many priests who have ministered at St. Senan's. 'For these reasons, and many more, we sincerely believe that Dick's tireless voluntary work over the years makes him a most deserving candidate for this pontifical honour. It is with great respect and appreciation that we submit this application for the Benemerenti Medal in recognition of his lifelong service,' they added.
Extra.ie
09-06-2025
- Extra.ie
Seven-year-old died in Portlaoise after playing on bouncy castle
A seven-year-old boy died after he developed a sudden heart condition while playing on a bouncy castle, it was revealed yesterday. Tributes were paid to Antony Perissato de Aguilar of Maryborough Village, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, last night after his parents posted the funeral details on Parents Raphael and Karla said their son died unexpectedly and peacefully at Crumlin Children's Hospital five days ago. 'Antony was healthy and full of joy playing in a bouncy castle on a beautiful day when he suffered from a sudden heart condition,' his funeral notice detailed. Antony Perissato de Aguilar of Maryborough Village, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. His heartbroken parents said they are 'devastated' following the death of their 'little man'. Additional funeral details revealed the couple were 'very blessed to have Antony as their child' and he will be 'forever missed' by his little brother, Gianlucca, his cousin, Isaac, his beloved grandparents Sandra, Rogerio, Maeli, Carlos and Solange, and his many friends from their Brazilian community, his school, Scoil Bhríde and his afterschool, After the Bell. Antony lay in repose at Keegan's Funeral Home, Portlaoise, yesterday from 2pm to 4pm. A private cremation will take place today. Parents Raphael and Karla said their son died unexpectedly and peacefully at Crumlin Children's Hospital five days ago. Pic: Leah Farrell/ John Fennell, deputy principal of Scoil Bhríde Portlaoise, paid tribute to Antony saying: 'Your sudden passing has brought great sadness, pain and grief. Your parting has left aching hearts and a huge void in the lives of so many. 'The great classical Latin Poet Horace alluded to the legacy that we all leave after us that withstands the passage of time when he wrote 'Exegi monumentum aere perennius'. 'Your legacy is one of happiness, gentleness, joy, kindness, friendship and reticence. 'What a fabulous footprint to have left here on earth, although your time here was so short. 'As a staff and school community we stand in solidarity, united in sadness and sorrow with your dad Raphael, your mom Karla, your brother Gianlucca, your extended family and friends, your teacher Ms R Conroy and classmates and the wider Brazilian community of Portlaoise. 'A dark heavy cloud hovers over Scoil Bhríde. It is brightened and somewhat dispelled by the vibrant, cherished memories we hold so dearly of your short time here. Fly high young man and look down on us all. RIP.' Antony's class teacher Rachel Conroy added: 'Raphael, Karla and Gianlucca, sincere condolences to you and your family on the loss of your beautiful boy Antony. 'Antony was such a kind, gentle and happy boy whose smile lit up the classroom each day. 'Although our class will never be the same without Antony, we will always remember him, his beautiful smile and the amazing memories that we made as a class in Senior Infants. 'Antony was a friend to everybody and showed great kindness and care to all. A special angel who will never be forgotten'.
Irish Independent
30-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Around the Districts: Ballyhea, Buttevant and Kilbrin
Mass Times – Friday, May 30, 10 a.m.; Saturday the 31st 10.000 a.m. and 7.30 p.m.; Sunday, June 1, 8.30 a.m. and 11 a.m.; Monday, June 2, midday; Tuesday, June 3, midday; Wednesday, June 4, midday (Latin); Thursday, June 5, 10 a.m.; Friday, June 6, 10 a.m.; Saturday, June 7, 10 a.m. and 7.30 p.m.; Sunday, June 8, 8.30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament will take place on Thursday after 10 a.m. Mass. Month of June – The month of June dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Feastdays for the coming week – Monday, June 2, St Marcellinu's and Peter martyrs; Tuesday, June 3, St Kevin, abbot; Wednesday, June 4, Ss. Charles Lwanga and Companions, martyrs; Thursday, June 5, St Boniface, bishop and martyr; Friday, June 6, St Norbert, bishop; Saturday, June 7, St Colman, bishop; Sunday, June 8, Pentecost Sunday. White Fathers – Fr Diarmuid Sheehan of the White Fathers wishes to thank the parish for its generous support during his visit last week. Collectors for June – 8.30 a.m. Mass: Paudie Morrissey. 11 a.m. Mass: Tadgh Mortell. Readers – Saturday, May 31: Elizabeth Ryan. Sunday, June 1: Sarah Barrett. Saturday, June 7: Ger. O'Shea. Sunday, June 8: Audrey Morrissey. Saturday, June 14: Louisa Carroll. Sunday, June 15: Mary Byrne. Church Altar Flower Arrangers – Saturday, May 31: Gretta Donegan Kenny. Saturday, June 7, and Saturday, June 14: Bernie Leahy. New Crucifix – The parish has acquired a large out-door Crucifix from the Redemptorist Monastery in Esker, Co. Galway. To defray the purchase and transport costs a subscription list is now open for anyone who would like to support this initiative. Subscriptions may be left into the sacristy at any time. Pilgrimage to Medjugorje – Leaving Cork on August 20 to September 4. Early booking offers available. Money can be paid in instalments to spread out the cost. For more information, please contact Mary Cott, Group Leader 086 1220850. Blessed Well Mass Mass was celebrated on Wednesday, May 21, at 7.30 p.m. in Ballyhea Blessed Well by Monsignor O'Brien. In attendance were the First Holy Communion Children. It was a lovely evening and the weather was glorious. Ballyhea Parish Choir were also in attendance and a very good crowd turned out. Parent and Toddler Group The parent and Toddler Group in Ballyhea is now meeting Friday mornings from 10 a.m. to midday in the Parish Hall. Coffee and tea is provided. €3 donation please. Ballyhea National School enrolment. Application forms (Admission notice) for September 2025 are available on the School Website ( or by calling to the office at Ballyhea NS Completed forms to be returned as soon as possible. Prospective parents may contact the school at 083 1475817 for further information or to facilitate a school visit. GAA club news Lotto – The numbers drawn on May 24 were 11, 12, 42. There was no winner of the jackpot of €3,100. Lucky tips winners: €30 Bernie Crowley c/o Bernie Crowley, €30 Trevor O'Sullivan c/o Online lotto €30 John Coleman c/o Costcutter Ballyhea. Next draw is on Saturday, May 31, for a jackpot of €3,200. Get your tickets before 5 p.m. on Saturday from Costcutters Ballyhea, Corbett Court, The Idle Hour or from any of the ticket sellers or they can be purchased online at Thank you for your continued support. Groundskeeper Position – A part-time position is available as Groundskeeper for 19.5 hours per week at Ballyhea GAA Must qualify for Community Employment. Please contact Kathleen at 086 836 97 64 for further details. Club membership – Membership fees for 2025 are currently being taken. Anyone wishing to pay online can do so by going to and selecting Ballyhea Club. Memberhip can also be paid to any committee member. All players must have membership paid before the commencement of all competitions. Membership fees for 2025: Adult €75, Adult Player €100, Juvenile player/student €50, Family €150, OAP/Unwaged €30. Community Alert Ballyhea Community Alert has successfully set up a Text Alert Network to immediately alert our community when an incident occurs. Prompt information to and from Gardaí deters criminal activity. If you are interested in becoming a member of our Text Alert Network please phone any of the following people for information and sign up details – Phil Ryan 087 2937465, Pat Daly 086 1220114, James Horgan 087 2572271, Willie Meaney 087 1936842, Con Walsh 086 8570355. The fee for this service is €10 annually. BUTTEVANT North Cork Vintage Club The North Cork Vintage and Classic Car Club, held a Vintage,and Classic Car Runon Sunday last, May 25th in the North Cork and Limerick area, with the headquarters in Buttevant. There was a very big turnout, of all makes and models of vehicles on the run, which were also available, to be seen, on their return from the run. The organising committee were more than delighted and appreciative of all who supported their latest venture. The committee wishes to thank all vehicle owners, and drivers who attended and supported, the event, the proceeds from which will benefit local charities. Your support is greatly appreciated. Heritage Group Buttevant Heritage Group are celebrating Irish Walled Town Network Day, on July 5th, and have organised a programme of events to coincide with this occasion. Anybody who may wish to exhibit on this day should contact Francis Trimm at the Post office. There will be numerous events taking place in the playground including medieval combat enactment, animal exhibits, face painting and many other items. All events will take place within the 'Green Area' under the watchful eye of Fionn Mac Cumhail's sculpture which was sculptured by local artist Michael Culloty. Your support will be greatly appreciated as a programme to suit all tastes will take place. Saturday Vigil Mass Saturday Vigil Mass for the month of May will take place in Lisgriffin Church. Lisgriffin Church Lisgriffin Church, is to undergo renovations, including interior painting, and exterior power-washing, and treatment, in the Autumn. A sloped pathway, at the church entrance, is also on the agenda. Extra street lighting, is to be provided, in the vicinity of the Church area. Corpus Christi Corpus Christi procession will take place on Saturday June 14th to Buttevant G.A.A., grounds, where benediction will take place. The route will also take in Military Road, and Barrack Place. '40 Years On' Cahirmee Singers have long been established in Buttevant and have performed far and wide and are much acclaimed for their choice of song and music showcasing their talents to many appreciative audiences who are loud in their praise of this talented group of performers. To celebrate their 'fortieth anniversary' the group will hold a celebratory concert on Saturday May 24th in Saint Marys' Church Buttevant (by kind permission of Fr Baker P.P. There will be several guest acts on the night with the group also performing. Tickets will be pre-sold and can be purchased from Mary Guiney (0879729600) and/or Mary Shinnick (086 7936318) and also at Centra Buttevant. Bingo The weekly bingo session continues to be held on Monday night in the local G.A.A. where a substantial monetary jackpot can be won the first together with other numerous games associated with bingo sessions. Games get under way from 8p.m. Running Club Buttevant running training continues on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7.15p.m. in the G.A.A. club grounds. Over-18-years is required and hi-vis gear is also compulsory. Lotto The locally promoted lotto draw continues tobe held on Thursday night in Buttevant Soccer Club Pavillion where a monetary jackpot of €5700 can be won or shared on the choice of four lucky numbers to match the four lucky numbers drawn on draw night. Draw cards can be purchased locally from club members and some appointed local retail outlets. Your support is greatly appreciated. Walking Club Buttevant Walking Club continue their weekly sessions on Monday nights from 7p.m. Assembly point is at Scoil Mhuire na Trocaire. Cul Camp Buttevant G.A.A. club is holding their annual Cul Camp from July 7th to July 11th inclusive again this year in their local grounds. KILBRIN Kilbrin GAA Duhallow Hurling League Semi Final: Our hurlers play Banteer in the Supervalu Hurling league semi final next Monday night, June 2nd at 6:30pm in Rathcoole. Please support the lads. Keep an eye out on Club Zap, our social media pages and club texts for updates. Club Zap: Kilbrin GAA have partnered with ClubZap, a leading club management platform that helps streamline communication, payments, and updates all in one place. With ClubZap, our members can stay up to date with fixtures, results, news, and events while also making membership payments and booking fundraising events seamlessly. This partnership will enhance how we connect with players, coaches, and supporters, making club life easier and more efficient for everyone. Download the ClubZap app from the App Store on iPhone or the Google Play Store on Android, create an account and search for Kilbrin GAA and follow us. Congratulations: Well done and congratulations to Colaiste Treasa Kanturk who won the under 14 football county final last Tuesday, well done to all our local lads involved. Scoreboard training: We are looking for volunteers to operate our new electronic scoreboard for match days. If you are interested in getting trained up, please contact us on 089 974 0093, through one of the club's officers or via our social media pages. Club updates: If you would like to be added to our GAA group texts where you will receive updates on all things Kilbrin GAA, please let one of our club members know or contact us on 089 974 0093 or through our social media pages. Walkway: The evenings are getting brighter so get out and utilise this brilliant community facility. The lights will come on at dusk and turn off at 9:30pm 7 days a week. Club Lotto: There was no winner of our recent jackpot. The numbers drawn were 6, 14, 21 & 26. Our lucky dip winners were: Paudie O' Callaghan, Conor Breen, Nora O' Connor, Denis Scully & Caroline Lehane. Our next lotto jackpot is €6,200 and takes place on May 28th. You can play our lotto on our club website here: Club shop: Kilbrin GAA have partnered with Azzurri Sports and have opened a club shop with them. Check out their website for a range of leisure and training gear We also have a club shop with O' Neills who have a range of various leisurewear and training gear. Check them out here: Social media: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X (formally Twitter) and help grow our page @KibrinGAAClub. We keep you up to date with match fixtures, results, club projects and local ongoings in the GAA club. You can contact us directly through all of these outlets. Badminton news Anna Lucey O'Sullivan secures another All Ireland title with Club Carrigaline winning the All Ireland C Club Badminton final V Navan in Baldoyle on Saturday. Anna played both singles and mixed and they won all games well to secure the title. Well done Anna Taekwon-do news Kanturk taekwon-do academy held their first Chon-Ji friendship tournament at scoil Mhuire Kanturk on Sunday 25th May. Kilbrin winners on the day were Fiadh Dennehy winning gold in her pattern and sparring. Conor O'Riordan winning gold in sparring and bronze in his pattern. Bingo Bingo is held every Monday night in the Kilbrin Social Club at 8.30 sharp. Tea, coffee, sweets and treats and bar refreshments available. A Lovely warm comfortable environment to be in for these Spring evenings. Jackpot is €1,600 in 51 calls. Thank you to all that support week in and week out. It is much appreciated. Pickleball Pickleball continues every Thursday from 8pm in the Social Club Hall. We always welcome current and new members to this fun and exciting new sport! Squash Did you know Kilbrin sports and social is host to one of North Cork's last remaining active squash courts. Founded in 1980, this club had upwards of 50 members back in 2009 with huge juvenile interest leading to them competitive games & success. For further information contact: Brendan Barrett at 0872789501 or kilbrinsquashclub@ or the community page here. Kilbrin Village Hub Is your son or daughter looking for a quiet place to study for their upcoming Leaving Cert, consider using the hub! Book your day for study or remote office working at We have 2 remote work stations with 500mb fibre broadband, tea/coffee facilities, fridge, free parking. Student rates available. Contact Bas on (087) 1805511 for further details or kilbrincc@ For any correspondence or information to be put on the Kilbrin notes, please contact Bas (087) 1805511 or Noel (086) 6001873.
