View Message

No argument about Walsh being an Irish name, and a very common one. The point your respondents are making is that the word WALSH is English. The name came into existence after the English, accompanied by many Welsh mercenaries, invaded Ireland and settled there in the 12th century. The Welsh settlers were called Walsh by the English, and Breathnach (Briton) by the Irish.
The Republic of Ireland has two official languages, Irish and English, and its citizens are legally entitled to use an Irish or an English version of their name, or both if they wish.