Given his many political commitments I suspect his wife Helena was left to do the heavy lifting when it came to their family.[1] Walter’s descendants have commented to me they understand that Helena was equally, if not more, committed to the republican cause, so Walter had found a good match. Helena attended numerous events with Walter, evident in photos retained in his family.
In 1963 US President John F Kennedy visited Ireland. Walter received an invitation to attend a ‘Special Meeting of the Council of the County Borough of Cork at the Concert Hall, City Hall, Cork, on Friday 28th June 1963’ when the Freedom of the City of Cork was to be conferred on JFK. Walter would have been somewhere in the video linked below. [2]
In 1966 the Furlongs celebrated their golden wedding Anniversary. This made the Irish Examiner on Thursday Sept 22nd. (Helena’s name is reported as Lilian.)
In 1971 Walter was invited to the opening of the Parnell Bridge. The invitation has stayed in the family’s possession.
Walter’s death
Walter died on December 11th, 1973 after an illness of some duration.[3]
Death Notice: Cork Examiner Post Dec 13 1973
Furlong (Cork) – On Dec 11 1973 at St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Walter Furlong, P.C. (T.O.S.F), Liberty St, beloved husband of Helena, 89 South Main St. (late Irish Volunteers, 1916, & ‘G’ Coy 1st Batt, 1st Cork Brigade, Old I.R.A.) Deeply regretted by his loving wife, family, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren & great- grandchildren. Requiem mass Ss. Peter & Paul’s Church to St. Joseph’s Cemetery.
The Cork Examiner of Wednesday December 12,1973 had a photograph of Walter on its front page and the text: Mr. Walter Furlong, a former Lord Mayor of Cork, who died last night (see obituary on page 9).
Obituary
Walter was survived by nine of his eleven children. He had 28 grandchildren.[4]
Walter left a will. The record reads:
£12304 was worth approximately £125,000 in 2019.
Helena died in 1990, in her 99th year.
Anecdote
There was a lot of pride in the extended family about having a cousin who had been Lord Mayor of Cork, Ireland’s second city. My mother told this story of when she was first teaching down in Cork. “I remember I got my first cheque and I couldn’t cash it, because I didn’t have an account. So Aunty Ita went to the Lord Mayor who was her cousin, Walter Furlong.“
Walter kept the guns from his years of active service in the Volunteers. He is known to have showed them to visiting family.
[1]Direct descendants report that Helena remained very politically engaged.
Helena Furlong made it to the newspaper of her own accord on Monday December 17 1956, having won second prize of £5.00 in the annual Society of St. Vincent De Paul prize draw!
[2] Thanks to Walter’s great granddaughter for this information and You Tube link.
[3] Source: Walter’s grandson says Walter had had a stroke.
[4] Source: Walter’s grandson.
In Search of Thomas Davis 