Career
Consistently a devout Catholic, he was known as "Walter of the Beads". His claim to the family estates was thwarted by King James I of England. The failure of Henry VIII of England"s policy of maintaining a balance of power between the Butlers and Geraldines had been made apparent by the Battle of Affane.
King James sought a different solution, by engineering the marriage of Black Tom"s daughter and heiress, Elizabeth Butler, with one of his own Scottish favourites, Richard Preston.
He made Preston Earl of Desmond and awarded most of the Ormond estates to Elizabeth instead of Walter. Butler spent much time and money in litigation in opposing the King"s scheme.
His persistence in refusing to resulted in him being committed to the Fleet prison in 1617. He remained incarcerated for eight years in great want with no rents reaching him from his estate.
Number answer was made to the writ, if indeed an opportunity was afforded for answer, and James took the county palatine into his own hands.
Earl Walter was set at liberty in 1625 and a large part of his estates restored to him. Walter also suffered problems within his own family. Viscount Thurles was a prominent Catholic and at the time of his death, was being sent to England on charges of having garrisoned Kilkenny.
He died at Carrick-on-Suir on 24 February
1632-1633, and was buried in Saint Canice"s Cathedral, Kilkenny on 18 June 1633.
