Background
Jimmy O'Dea was born in Lower Bridge Street, Dublin, where his mother kept a small toy-shop. His father was an iron-monger and had a shop in Capel Street. But his father would not hear of it.
Jimmy O'Dea was born in Lower Bridge Street, Dublin, where his mother kept a small toy-shop. His father was an iron-monger and had a shop in Capel Street. But his father would not hear of it.
He was educated at the Irish Christian Brothers O'Connell School in Richmond Street, Dublin, where a classmate was future Taoiseach Sean Lemass, by the Holy Ghost Fathers at Blackrock College, and by the Jesuits at Belvedere College. O'Dea was apprenticed to an optician in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he qualified as an optician.
He was one of 11 children. From a young age he was interested in taking to the stage. He co-founded an amateur acting group, the Kilronan Players, in 1917.
In his spare time he took part in amateur productions of Ibsen and Chekhov. From 1920 he was in the Irish theatre in Hardwicke Street working with actor-producer John McDonagh. After working in plays by Shaw for a few years he rejoined McDonagh in revues, the first of which, Dublin To-Night, was produced at the Queen's Theatre in 1924.
In 1927 he took to the stage full-time. Their first show was Look Who's Here at Queen's. For more than two decades beginning in 1929 the duo produced two shows a year in Dublin, first in the Olympia Theatre, then in the Gaiety.
They created O'Dea's most famous character, Biddy Mulligan". The role drew on Jimmy's previous manifestations as "Dames" in Variety performances and pantomimes. Biddy Mulligan was the representation (caricature, parody and stereotype) of a Dublin street-seller, with all the working-class repartee, wisdom and failings implicit.
He made a number of recordings of sketches starring Mrs. Mulligan. Biddy Mulligan is referenced in many Dublin music hall songs such as "Biddy Mulligan the Pride of the Coombe", "Daffy the Belle of the Coombe" and. O'Dea made some film appearances, such as in which he played King Brian of the little people and Johnny Nobody (1961).
He also had a successful career in pantomime and toured Ireland and England many times, and is much associated with actress Maureen Potter (1925-2004), with whom he often partnered. O'Dea was also a prolific songwriter in his day. Many of his songs are still well known to this day, some of them having been sung and recorded by Dublin singer Frank Harte.
Jimmy O'Dea died at Dr Steevens' Hospital, Dublin, aged 65, in 1965.
