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

Bishop of Limerick The Bishop of Limerick is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Limerick in the Province of Munster, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Church it still continues as a sepa ...

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

County Tipperary County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...

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

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

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 Catholic secondary school located on of parkland at Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland. The college is one of a number of Jesuit schools in Ireland. The ...

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

St Munchin's College St. Munchin's College is a boys–only Roman Catholic secondary school in Limerick, Ireland. It was founded by The Most Reverend John G. Young (bishop), John Young, Bishop of Limerick in 1796. As of January 2020, a total of 657 boys were enrolle ...

, he entered the National Seminary at

Maynooth College St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth (), is a pontifical Catholic university in the town of Maynooth near Dublin, Ireland. The college and national seminary on its grounds are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was of ...

, 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 (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...

. 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 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 ...

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 nati ...

. Following the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), 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 aim of establishing an ind ...

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 () is the political movement for an Irish republic, void of any British rule. Throughout its centuries of existence, it has encompassed various tactics and identities, simultaneously elective and militant and has been both w ...

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 language, German noun with a significant degree of importance in German philosophy. ''Geist'' can be roughly translated into three English meanings: ghost (as in the supernatural entity), Spirit (vital essence), spirit (a ...

that will yet vindicate our glorious country and not the petty intrigues of parliamentary chicane." He died in August 1917. O'Dwyer Bridge, a bridge over the

Abbey River The Abbey River is a right-bank backwater of the River Thames in England, in Chertsey, Surrey — in the town's northern green and blue buffers. The L-shaped conduit adjoins mixed-use flood plain: water-meadows landscaped for a golf cou ...

in Limerick city, is named after O'Dwyer.

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