UCC lecturer Éibhear Walshe remembered as 'brilliantly creative colleague'

A book of condolences will be opened on Tuesday morning and a gathering of university staff to remember Mr Walshe will be held on Wednesday

UCC lecturer Éibhear Walshe was remembered by his colleagues and students after his death on Sunday. Picture: Tomas Tyner/UCC

The president of University College Cork (UCC) has led tributes to a “treasured colleague” in one of its most influential lecturers, Éibhear Walshe, who died on Sunday.

Mr Walshe was a lecturer in the School of English for over 30 years and was the director of creative writing.

He was also the author of three novels, 11 edited volumes, three monographs, a memoir, as well as academic essays and book chapters, and has won several awards.

Mr Walshe worked in the area of modern Irish fiction and drama, and wrote about the interconnections between politics, literature, and the representations of sexuality. Following the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ireland in 1993, lesbian and gay studies have been near the front of his publications.

The Waterford native has been described by peers and former students on social media as a “superb writer and academic”, as well as a “wonderful human being with a brilliantly wicked sense of humour”.

The president of UCC, Prof John O’Halloran, paid tribute to the late professor, saying he was a “brilliantly creative colleague.”

“His popularity among both staff and students at UCC is a testament to his generosity of spirit and kindness,” he said.

“I wish to extend our deepest sympathies to his mother Celine, brothers Eoin and Shéamus, sisters Ria and Oonagh, and his extended family.”

“Éibhear’s smile, his good humour, his collegiality, his vision and ambition to cultivate and celebrate creative writing here at UCC has impacted generations of writers,” the head of the UCC School of English and Digital Humanities, Dr Orla Murphy, said.

The interim head of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies, and Social Sciences, Prof Cathal O’Connell, remembered Mr Walshe as a “gifted author of fiction, memoir and biography”.

Colleagues warmly remember Éibhear as a committed and dedicated academic who attracted students of creative writing to UCC from all over the world

“As a gifted author of fiction, memoir, and biography he was also held in the highest esteem by his peers in Ireland and internationally,” Prof O’Connell said in a statement.

Tributes also flowed in through social media from colleagues and former students for the late professor.

'Miss him dearly'

“Over the span of 22 years, he was my lecturer, supervisor, mentor, and friend,” curator and art historian, Michael Waldron said.

“A brilliant writer and teacher, he was matter-of-fact, supportive, and gleefully funny. I will miss him dearly,” He added on X.

Author Liz Quirke said Dr Walshe was a “huge influence” on her since she “first sat in his class 22 years ago.”

“It was a huge privilege to know him as a student, a colleague, and a friend. I don’t know what UCC looks like without him,” she said on X.

A book of condolences will be opened on Tuesday and a gathering of staff to remember Mr Walshe will be held on Wednesday.

According to his death notice on RIP.ie, funeral arrangements for the service in Waterford will be announced later.