Drumree GFC remembers Jimmy Walsh

It is one month since Jimmy Walsh passed away suddenly on 29th September. Over the past month we have heard of many stories of the great character and sportsman Jimmy was and his popularity was reflected in the huge crowds that turned up to pay their respects as he was laid to rest in Culmullen on Wednesday 4th October.  

Jimmy was a member of the Meath team that won the All- Ireland Senior Football championship in 1967. He also won two Leinster senior football championships and scored 15 points in the Leinster championship in 1964 against Kildare, Louth, and Dublin, and five points in the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway. He also won All-Ireland and Leinster Junior Football championship medals and All-Ireland and Leinster Junior Hurling championship medals. 

And as a club player he won six Meath senior hurling championships, an Intermediate hurling championship and two junior hurling championships. He also won three Meath Intermediate football championships and two junior football championships. He won those playing football with Drumree and Dunshaughlin and hurling with Drumree, Kilmessan and Dunshaughlin. He was just 16 when he won his first Junior Football Championship in 1959 with Drumree. 

'The Dosser', as he was popularly known was also a great character and always enjoyed the craic and banter. Coming up to a big game Jimmy would be giving lads advice that if they ever score a great goal always runs out towards the cameras so that they will get a good picture of you for the paper! 

At 10.30am mass on a Sunday morning in Culmullen you could always hear Jimmy coming in because he would have a laugh and banter with various people he would meet and now they are going to have to find someone else to collect the baskets.

There are hundreds of stories we could tell about Jimmy and I am sure all who knew him whether it was as a player or during his rounds reading the ESB meters will have their own.

Jimmy was chairman of St Martin's, which was the underage club of Dunshaughlin-Drumree, from 1993 to 1996. He was one of the founders of the Drumree lotto and was still involved up until recently, on Sunday mornings after mass he would call into numerous houses in the area selling tickets for the draw that night, a cup of tea and a bit of craic in each house as he went along was how he spent his Sundays. He was always a great supporter of the Drumree club both on the field and at all social events.

Drumree GAA are very proud of all our players who have represented and won honours with  Meath and Jimmy was one of greatest we had ever seen. He is survived by his wife Josephine, his children Yvonne, Brenda, Valerie, James, Ann and Brian, his sister Nuala Burke and brothers Michael and Oliver and his eleven grandchildren.  Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.