Kathleen Walsh D'Arcy, a popular Irish American activist who served as co-chair of the St. Pat's for All parade in New York City, passed away on Saturday, July 18.
A community organizer, feminist, and human rights activist, Walsh D'Arcy was active in the New York Irish community all of her life. Her parents immigrated from Co Tipperary and Co Offaly to the US in the 1920s, and she lived in Ireland for a number of years.
Walsh D'Arcy was also a writer, editor, teacher, and social worker. She co-edited two fiction collections by Irish women writers, "Territories of the Voice" (1990) and "A Green and Mortal Sound" (2001). As a social worker, she worked with homebound elders, teen mothers, and domestic violence survivors.
Memorial services will be held for Walsh D'Arcy at Andrett Funeral Home at 199 Bleecker Street in New York City on Friday, July 24. A funeral mass will be held at St. Francis Xavier Church on 46 W 16th Street in New York City on Saturday, July 25.
Kathleen Walsh D'Arcy and the St. Pat's for All Parade
Walsh D'Arcy became co-chair of the St. Pat's for All Parade in 2007. Launched in 2000 as a response to the exclusion of Irish LGBTQ communities from the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the event has grown and is now hosted annually in the Sunnyside / Woodside area of Queens.
In 2015, Walsh D'Arcy was serving on the board of the Lavender and Green Alliance when organizers of the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade on Fifth Avenue finally announced that the Irish LGBT group would be able to march under its own banner in 2016.
Later in 2016, Walsh D'Arcy and her St. Pat's for All co-chair Brendan Fay were named among the recipients of the prestigious Presidential Distinguished Service Awards for the Irish Abroad for their work in Irish Community Support.
After learning of the award, Walsh D'Arcy told IrishCentral's sister publication the Irish Voice newspaper how her pareents "reluctantly" emigrated from Ireland in the 1920s and "found a community of Irish people in New York that worked to preserve Irish music, culture, politics – a community of people who took care of each other! Almost a century later, I am still part of that community.
"President Higgins' award for the Irish abroad is a great honor. I am so proud to be part of St. Pat's For All and to stand with Brendan Fay, our dedicated committee members, and all of the Irish Americans and organizations that have embraced our parade and our mission to cherish all of the children of the nation equally.”
Presenting the honor during a December 2016 reception at Áras an Uachtaráin, President Higgins said: "We know both Brendan Fay and Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy as unflagging campaigners for the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community – true believers in equality for all citizens.
"In a time when these values are being contested across the world, when a battle for hearts and minds must be fought, Brendan’s and Kathleen’s unrelenting advocacy for inclusion and equality give us reason to the power of human decency and generous ideals."
December 8, 2016: Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy with her award in the Irish Community Support category and President of Ireland Michael D Higgins. (Maxwells)
Tributes to Kathleen Walsh D'Arcy
Walsh D'Arcy's passing was confirmed by the Irish Consulate in New York on Monday.
"We are saddened to hear of the passing of Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy, a pillar of the New York City Irish community," the Irish Consulate said.
"A proud Irish-American, Kathleen dedicated her life to promoting a diverse and inclusive vision of the Irish diaspora.
"Kathleen will be remembered for her fight for LGBTQI equality in New York, from fighting the ban of LGBTI organizations in the 5th Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade, to the founding of the Sunnyside St. Pat's for All Parade.
"Kathleen received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad in 2016, and was honoured at a state dinner in Dublin by former President Michael D. Higgins for her advocacy.
"Her life and legacy will live on in the communities she helped to shape.
"The Consulate sends our deepest condolences to Kathleen’s friends, family, and the St Pat’s For All team during this difficult time."
In a statement on Tuesday, the Irish Arts Center said it "mourns with great sadness the passing of our dear friend Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy, longtime co-chair of the St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside, Queens.
"A stalwart of our community, she inspired us all to greet the world with kindness, as we stiffen our spines and fight for a more just, inclusive society. We will miss her greatly."
The New York Irish Center said it was "deeply saddened" to learn of Walsh D'Arcy's passing and described her as "a tireless advocate and cherished member of New York's Irish community."
"Kathleen dedicated her life to building a more inclusive Irish community, championing equality and LGBTQI+ inclusion," the NYIC said.
"Through her leadership with St. Pat's for All and her decades of advocacy, she leaves behind a remarkable legacy that will continue to inspire for generations to come.
"We extend our heartfelt condolences to Kathleen's family, friends, the St. Pat's for All community, and the many people whose lives she touched."
The Brehon Law Society of New York said: "We are grateful for the love, prayers, and support of family and friends during this difficult time."
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