P.G. O'Dea

P.G. O'Dea (7 November 1898 – 1982) was an Irish playwright known for his comedic plays and contributions to Irish amateur theatre in the mid-20th century.

Biography Born in Limerick in 1898, O'Dea spent most of his life in Athlone, where he taught at the local technical school, known locally as "The Tech". From his home at Court Devenish, After retiring from teaching, O'Dea relocated to Dublin, where he lived until his death in 1982.

While he initially wrote under the pseudonym 'Morgan Brookes'. O'Dea's true identity was revealed, by a fellow educator, following a performance of Kitty Breaks the Ice in 1946. and some dramatic societies adopted the alternative title "Don Juan's Pantaloons". and "Johnnie's Britches" continued to be performed under its original name.

Later life and legacy After retiring from teaching, O'Dea moved to Dublin. with performances being staged in several regions and in the USA. For example, A Man of Ideas was revived in 2014 by the New Haven Gaelic Players in Connecticut, USA, decades after its original performances in Ireland. Poor Jimmy has also seen renewed interest, with performances across the country, including in County Kerry and County Cork. Johnnie's Britches, historically a "crowd favourite", was staged by Beezneez Theatre Company as part of a 2012 nationwide tour in Ireland, which included a performance at the Civic Theatre in Tallaght.

O'Dea also wrote a song titled "Dear Love", which was used as part of the Centenary of the Easter Rising commemorations at the RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone.

Selected works

Kitty Breaks the Ice (1943) Johnnie's Britches (1945) Bachelor Barney (1947) Poor Jimmy (1947) A Man of Ideas (1948) Down the Middle (1949) Simey's Shadow (1951) Paddy the Englishman (1951) The Diddler (1960) Above Every Other Evil? (1962)