Founder of the Hollister dynasty of organ and keyboard builders in Dublin, although his father (or brother?) Robert Hollister was appointed organist at St John's Church, Fishamble Street, in 1688 (Boydell, Calendar).

Thomas Hollister was assistant organist at St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork from 1695 to 1703 with the added duty to 'tune and keep clean the organ'.

He built an organ in St Werburgh's Church, Dublin, in 1719 which however was deemed unsatisfactory when examined the following year by Daniel and Ralph Rosengrave, Robert Woffington and John Baptiste Cuvillie.

Flood states that in the 1720s, Thomas Hollister was a noted harpsichord maker as well as organ builder ('Harpsichord and Pianoforte Makers').