Rev Thomas O'Callaghan
Title:
Rev
First Name:
Thomas
Middle Names:
Preferred Name:
Surname:
O'Callaghan
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick
Country of Birth:
Ireland
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Waterford
Country of Ordination:
Ireland
Ordination Diocese:
Brisbane
Seminary:
St John's College, Waterford, Ireland
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Nanango QLD
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Nanango QLD
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Appointments Table
Diocese | Place | Role | Start Day | Start Month | Start Year | End Day | End Month | End Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | Beaudesert | Curate | Priests of 1928 | ||||||
| Brisbane | Toogoolawah | Parish Priest | 1935 | 1946 | Priests of 1928 | ||||
| Brisbane | Nanango | Parish Priest | 1946 | 1967 | Priests of 1928; Gravestone |
Biographical Notes
Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, p 186:
Thomas O'Callaghan
By comparison with his gregarious and extroverted elder brother John, Tom O'Callaghan was rather quiet and somewhat shy.
Tom was two years younger, having been born in 1897 in Abbeyfeale in Co Limerick where his education was begun in the local National School. His clerical training was at Mt Melleray and St John's College, both in Waterford. He was ordained in 1923 and arrived in Brisbane on New Year's Day, 1924.
For about ten years he was curate at Beaudesert before being appointed Parish Priest of Toogoolawah where he remained from 1935 until early 1946. He transferred to Nanango, his last parish. Here he built the new brick presbytery and planted 'forests' of trees on the property.
Like brother John, Tom had bad eyesight, so that people wondered how he drove about for over 20 years and never had an accident. Periodically, he drove down to Brisbane to stay with John and did enjoy the conviviality. Special days in Fr Tom's life were the St Patrick's Day celebrations and school concerts when Irish songs and jigs were featured.
In 1963, Tom and John flew back to Ireland, their first return in 40 years or so. John had retired and intended to remain there with their last surviving sister. He died three weeks after arrival. Poor Tom flew back to Australia a sad and lonely man.
On 22nd December 1967, Fr Tom died suddenly at the Nanango presbytery. Mons. Frawley delivered the panegyric at the Requiem Mass and burial took place at the Nanango Cemetery so that 'Fr Tom could always be near his beloved parishioners'.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)