Walsh, John (1830–98), archbishop of Toronto, was born 23 May 1830 in Mooncoin, Co. Kilkenny, son of James Walsh, farmer, and Ellen Walsh (née Macdonald). He was educated at the diocesan college, St John's College, Waterford, where he completed classical and philosophical courses in preparation for the priesthood. After a year of theological studies, he quit the diocesan route and volunteered for the Canadian missions. In April 1852 he left Ireland for Canada and entered the Séminaire de Saint-Sulpice, Montreal. He was accepted as a candidate for the diocese of Toronto by Bishop Armand-Francois-Marie de Charbonnel, and was ordained 1 November 1854. Over the next thirteen years he worked in various townships and also contributed articles and letters to the Toronto Mirror under the pseudonym ‘Ossory’. His first assignment was as the first resident priest to the Brock mission, from where he ministered to many diocesan townships. In 1854 he contracted cholera, which left him vulnerable to periodic bouts of ill health for the remainder of his life. Owing to his impaired health, he returned (1856) to Toronto, where he held positions as parish priest of St Mary's (1857) and rector of St Michael's cathedral (1858). During a visit to Toronto by the prince of Wales in September 1860, Walsh managed to restrain potential conflicts between radical members of the Orange order and catholics in the city, and the visit passed without incident. On 20 April 1862 the coadjutor bishop of Toronto, John Joseph Lynch (qv), appointed Walsh his vicar general. In May 1863 Walsh accompanied Lynch to the third provincial council of Quebec as his personal theologian. He was consecrated as the second bishop of Sandwich, Ontario, on 10 November 1867, but in January 1868 moved the episcopal seat to London, Ontario, despite the unpopularity of this decision within his diocese and with Archbishop Lynch. On approval granted from Rome on 15 November 1869, he assumed the title ‘bishop of London’ in May 1870.
Although Walsh did not attend the first Vatican council (1869–70) because of ill health, he wrote several pastorals, including two lengthy pastorals supporting papal infallibility which were read aloud in every church in the diocese. He visited Ireland in September 1882, and assisted at the third plenary council of Baltimore in 1884. His tenure as bishop is notable for numerous ordinations and new parishes, the building of the diocesan St Peter's cathedral (1885), and the consideration he gave to the French-speaking population of his diocese. In December 1889 he was appointed archbishop of Toronto. An active writer and preacher, he took a particular interest in the Irish community in his archdiocese. He was also an advocate of home rule for Ireland, and used his influence to aid the Irish parliamentary party MP (and ex-leader of the Canadian Liberal party), Edward Blake (qv), in raising monies for the Irish Parliamentary Fund in 1892–6. He was involved in the organisation of the Irish Race Convention, held in Dublin on 1–2 September 1896, to restore unity to the home rule movement. Although he had planned to lead the Canadian delegation, ultimately he did not attend, and his representative, Dr Frank Ryan, read a letter to the convention on his behalf. Walsh died suddenly on 27 July 1898 in Toronto. He was a conservative archbishop recognised for his pastoral leadership and his emphasis on cooperation between the catholics and other Christians of the archdiocese.