Thomas O'Dea

{{Short description|Irish bishop (1858–1923)}}

{{For|the Connecticut politician|Tom O'Dea}}

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{{Use Hiberno-English|date=January 2020}}

Thomas O'Dea, Bishop of Clonfert and Bishop of Galway[http://sources.nli.ie/Record/PS_UR_076130 National Library of Ireland] (7 January 1858 – 9 April 1923) was born in Carron, Kilfenora, County Clare, and educated in Ennis and Maynooth.{{Who's Who | title=O'Dea, Thomas | id = U201092| type = was | volume = 1920–2016 | edition = April 2014 online | access-date = 19 February 2021 }} He was ordained on 25 June 1882[https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bodeat.html Catholic Hierarchy] for the Diocese of Galway. He was a member of staff at Maynooth, from the date of his ordination; and served as vice-president from 1894. He was named Bishop of Clonfert on 16 June 1903,[http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/galw0.htm G Catholic] replacing Dr. Healy. He became Bishop of Galway on 29 April 1909.

His plans to build a new cathedral for the town were interrupted by World War I. He was a fluent Irish speaker and a supporter of the GAA. {{Citation needed|date=May 2013}} He was firstly buried in St. Patrick's Pro-Cathedral of Galway, but later re-interred in the crypt of the new Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas, Galway.