Edward Thomas O'Dwyer (22 January 1842 – 19 August 1917) was the Roman Catholic

Bishop of Limerick The Bishop of Limerick is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Limerick in the Province of Munster, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it still continues as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been uni ...

from 1886 until his death. O'Dwyer was born in Lattin,

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...

, the only son of John Keating O'Dwyer. The family moved to

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

shortly after his birth, and he was educated at the Christian Brothers school on Sexton Street.,Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, Churchman and champion of Liberty
''Limerick Chronicle'', 26 August 1967 and at the

Crescent College Crescent College Comprehensive SJ, formerly known as the College of the Sacred Heart, is a secondary school located on of parkland at Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland. The college is one of a number of Jesuit schools in Ireland. The 2016 ''Su ...

, Limerick. In 1860, after a year's study at

St Munchin's College St. Munchin's College is a second-level education college located in Corbally, Limerick, Ireland. The school was founded in 1796. It is a Diocesan CollegeDiocese of Limerick > Education > Post Primary or minor seminary. College Crest The colle ...

, he entered the National Seminary at

Maynooth College St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland. ...

, and he was ordained a priest in 1867. As a curate in St Michael's Parish in Limerick O'Dwyer was actively involved in the

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...

. Later as bishop he supported the building of the new temperance hall which replaced the dilapidated premises the Society had operated from since 1839. He also established the Catholic Literary Society. He was appointed Bishop of Limerick aged 44. While Bishop of Limerick he helped establish

Mary Immaculate The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth wh ...

teacher training college. As bishop he supported Home Rule for Ireland, but disagreed with the

Plan of Campaign The Plan of Campaign was a strategy, stratagem adopted in Ireland between 1886 and 1891, co-ordinated by Irish politicians for the benefit of tenant farmers, against mainly absentee landlord, absentee and rack-rent landlords. It was launched to c ...

of the

Irish Parliamentary Party The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP; commonly called the Irish Party or the Home Rule Party) was formed in 1874 by Isaac Butt, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish national ...

. Following the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...

in 1916, he took a strong stand against repression in a letter—which he published—to the British military commander General Sir John Maxwell, which made him a hero among Irish nationalists. He also supported

Physical force republicanism Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The developm ...

stating "God has made Ireland a nation, and while grass grows and water runs, there will be men willing to dare and die for her. It is that

national spirit ''Geist'' () is a German noun with a significant degree of importance in German philosophy. Its semantic field corresponds to English ghost, spirit, mind, intellect. Some English translators resort to using "spirit/mind" or "spirit (mind)" to ...

that will yet vindicate our glorious country and not the petty intrigues of parliamentary chicane." He died in August 1917.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:ODwyer, Edward Thomas Roman Catholic bishops of Limerick 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland People educated at Crescent College Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth 1842 births 1917 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland Christian clergy from County Tipperary