Thomas O'Doherty (21 November 1877 – 15 December 1936) was Bishop of Clonfert and Bishop of Galway successively from November 1919 to July 1936.

Early life and education

O'Doherty was born at Loughglynn,

Ballaghaderreen Ballaghaderreen () is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It was part of County Mayo prior to 1898. It is located just off the N5 National primary road. The population was 1,808 in the 2016 census. History As of 1837, the town was recor ...

, County Roscommon on 21 November 1877 and educated in Sligo and

Maynooth Maynooth (; ga, Maigh Nuad) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's ...

. He was ordained priest on 22 June 1902 for service in the

Diocese of Elphin The Diocese of Elphin () was established following the Synod of Rathbreasail in the year 1118. In that year the see for east Connacht was moved from Roscommon. Elphin was the traditional site of a monastic house established by St Patrick , althou ...

and his first pastoral appointment was to the staff of Summerhill College, Sligo, from 1902–1910. He was then appointed to the staff of Maynooth College where he served as a Dean for nearly a decade before he was appointed Bishop of Clonfert on 3 July 1919.

Episcopal Ministry

Clonfert

He served in the East Galway diocese for three years before he was moved to the larger diocese of Galway. These early years as a bishop coincided with the turbulent events of the Anglo-Irish war and the Civil War. O'Doherty has been assessed by historians as pro-Treaty bishop but more measured in his tone than his episcopal colleagues in other parts of Galway.

Galway

In July 1923 he was moved to Galway succeeding the man he had succeeded as Bishop in Clonfert, Thomas O'Dea. He is remembered as a "disciplinarian" which would be consistent with his previous posting in Maynooth responsible for the formation of students. In July 1935, along with many other Irish bishops he opined on the evils of the dance-halls which were "practically on all occasions dangerous to morals." He used the same occasion to denounce "the evils of mixed bathing." He died at his residence aged 59 in Galway on 15 December 1936 and is buried in the crypt of the new Cathedral.

References

* ''Lickmolassy by the Shannon'', p. 201, John Joe Conwell, 1998, .

External links

* People from Ballaghaderreen Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Roman Catholic bishops of Clonfert Roman Catholic bishops of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora 1877 births 1936 deaths Christian clergy from County Roscommon Academics of St Patrick's College, Maynooth {{Ireland-RC-bishop-stub