Architect, of Dublin. Dermot O'Dwyer was born in Dublin on 26 May 1906, the eldest son of Robert O'Dwyer, later to become Dublin Corporation Professor of Irish Music at University College, Dublin, and his wife, Bertha. He was educated at the Catholic University School and University College, Dublin, from which he graduated with the B.Arch degree in 1928. He spent some time in the office of JONES & KELLY JONES & KELLY and then, from 1934 to 1937, practised in partnership with his brother DONAL O'DWYER DONAL O'DWYER . After giving up his own practice, he worked first as senior assistant in the office of THOMAS JOSEPH CULLEN THOMAS JOSEPH CULLEN and later joined the staff of MICHAEL SCOTT MICHAEL SCOTT . During the war he was employed by the Office of Public Works, assisting in the organisation of air raid precautions under BASIL BOYD BARRETT BASIL BOYD BARRETT . He rejoined T.J. Cullen's staff at the end of the war. After Cullen died in 1947, O'Dwyer and Cullen's widow, who was a doctor by profession, carried on the practice at 25 Suffolk Street as T.J. Cullen & Co. until shortly before O'Dwyer's death in 1957.
AAI: elected member, 1926; hon. secretary, 1928-31; ceased membership, 1938.
RIAI: elected member, 1929; elected fellow, 1950 or 1951.
Addresses: Home: 9 Upper Leeson Street, 1917-1939; Bayview, Rock Road, Booterstown, 1940; 31 Wellington Road, 1948-49; 7 Pembroke Road, 1950-56; 6 Earlsfort Mansions, 21 Earlsfort Terrace, 1957.
See WORKS.
References
All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the obituary of O'Dwyer in RIAI Year Book (1958), 32-33.
There has been some confusion with his brother Donal, who graduated B.Arch in 1929. The date 1928 is given in the RIAI obituary, and Dermot is designated B.Arch at the time of his election as a member of the RIAI in 1929. However only Donal appears in the list of graduates of the UCD School of Architecture published in Annexe 3 (1981), 164. See also IB 71, 20 Jul,17 Aug,9 Nov 1929, 646,726,990S.
Entry on Donal O'Dwyer in Who's Who…in Ireland (1973), 270; but see IB 76, 1 Dec 1934, which names 'Mr O'Dwyer of T.J. Cullen & Co.' as the architect of a hosiery factory at Hacketstown.
See note 2, above.
From lists of officers and members in AAI Green Books.
JRIAI (1930), 11.
He is not designated fellow in the list of members in RIAI Year Book (1950) but is so designated in the list in RIAI Year Book (1952). There is no mention of his election in the council reports for 1949, 1950 or 1951.
From AAI & RIAI lists of members and Thom's directories.
