Walsh, Albert Jasper (1815–80), doctor, was born 15 April 1815 in Dundrum Castle, Co. Dublin, second among at least three sons and one daughter of John Walsh, merchant and Prussian consul in Dublin, and Sarah Walsh (née Hayes). He was educated at Feinaiglian School, Dublin, before graduating BA (1837) from TCD, and was admitted licentiate (1837) of the RCSI and of the Royal College of Physicians, London (1842).
As a medical student, he formed the idea of founding a hospital exclusively for protestants. With the support of his brothers Frederick and John, the Adelaide Institution and Protestant Hospital (later called simply the Adelaide Hospital) was opened (1839) at 43 Bride St., Dublin, and Walsh was elected surgeon (1839–48, 1858–77) and subsequently consulting surgeon (1877–80). The hospital, containing fourteen beds, was financed solely by subscriptions, donations (Albert and Frederick being both subscribers and donors), and charity sermons; it closed (1848) due to lack of funds. Walsh was a member of the committee involved in the reopening (1858) of the hospital in new premises in Peter St, which had accommodation for seven wards and seventy-five beds.
The Adelaide was unique in the UK in restricting its patients to one religion, its ward rules requiring that all patients attend to prayers and the reading of scripture. During the early years Walsh and his colleagues readily treated patients of any creed in cases of accident and emergency, but hospital regulations prohibited non-protestants from visiting the hospital; this led to catholic priests being denied the opportunity to give pastoral care or administer the sacraments. A campaign (including placards mounted throughout the city, and correspondence in the newspapers and to the hospital) was mounted (1860–61) by John Spratt (qv), DD, to dissuade catholics from entering the hospital. The Adelaide responded at its AGM (1864) by resolving that only protestants were to be admitted to the hospital and dispensary, but at an extraordinary general meeting in 1865, it was agreed that catholics should be admitted to the dispensary; Walsh was the only member of the medical board to vote against the resolution; his reasons for doing so are not known.
Surgeon to the Maison de Santé (Charlemont St., Dublin), he was respected as a skilful operator, contributed papers to medical journals, and ran a large practice from his home, 89 Harcourt St., Dublin. He was elected fellow (1845), council member, and president (1870) of RCSI, and was a member of the Surgical Society of Ireland.
Walsh lived mostly at 41 Fitzwilliam Sq., Dublin. He died 24 July 1880 at his country residence, Larch Hill, Whitechurch, Co. Dublin, and was buried at Mount Jerome cemetery, Dublin. He married (1874) Charlotte Maria Clarke; they had a son and a daughter. His elder brother, Frederick William Walsh (1813–85), lawyer, was active in the administration of the Adelaide Hospital and served as its first hon. secretary; negotiated the purchase of the new hospital in Peter St. and was one of its trustees; and became (1879) a judge of the court of bankruptcy. His younger brother, John Walsh (d. 1881), continued in his father's business, and served as hon. treasurer (1857–79) at the Adelaide.