SO SAD TO SEE YOU GO!

We are all so sad to hear of the closure of St Patrick’s Convent.     It has been an integral part of life in the West End for 160 years.  As former   pupils of the    School,     it has had a profound influence on our lives.    We will miss   the   presence   of   the  Sisters  in   St Patrick’s   Parish   but   the  memories    will remain. 

Eleanor Dalton has shared some treasured photographs and memories with us.  

The main entrance to St Patrick's Convent as it is today

Eleanor said: 

“I’M SO SAD THAT THE CONVENT IS CLOSING.  HERE ARE A COUPLE OF PICTURES OF THE CONVENT’S MAIN ENTRANCE IN 1948 AND TODAY.  MY GREAT AUNT IS HOLDING ME.  I’M VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT I’M A ST PATRICK’S GIRL AND ALSO THAT THERE IS SO MUCH FAMILY HISTORY WITH THE CONVENT.  MY PARENTS WERE MARRIED IN THE CONVENT CHAPEL IN 1941.”

Eleanor being held by her great aunt, Sr M Josephine Halleran, outside the main entrance to St Patrick's Convent, 1948.
Who are the other Sisters?

Eleanor's great aunt, Sr M Josephine Halleran, was her mother's aunt.  Sr Josephine and her sister, Sr M Agnes Halleran, were long standing and well loved members of St Patrick's Convent community and they now rest side by side in the little cemetery there.

The graves of Eleanor's great aunts in
St Patrick's Convent Cemetery

Eleanor, we are very grateful to you for sharing with us and we look forward to hearing more from you.   

We would very much like to hear from anyone with photos, memories or any connection with St Patrick’s Convent so, please, rifle your drawers, albums, cupboards, and anywhere else that you have stashed away the old photos and memories.  When you have dug them out, please share them with us at mcallistersmith@gmail.com.

THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL RING

I am really pleased to be able to post this picture of an original St Patrick's School Ring.  This one belongs to Doreen Heffernan and she tells me that it was bought about 1948.  I had a St Patrick's School ring but mine was the newer version.  Unfortunately, I lost mine.   Some of you will remember the updated ring.  You may even have one.  If you do, I'd love to see a picture of it.  If you would like to share a picture of it, please send it to me at mcallistersmith@gmail.com 

 



An original St Patrick's Convent School Ring,
circa 1948

Many thanks to Doreen for letting us photograph her ring and thanks to Lynn for modelling it!

SR IMMACULATA'S GRADE 6 CLASS, 1948

This is a picture of Sr Immaculata'a Grade six class of 1948.   I have to thank Doreen (McAllister) Heffernan for contributing the photo.  Doreen has also supplied most of the names but if you can fill in any of the missing names we would be happy to add them.  I am going to post two versions of this photo.  I will post the original because there is so much great background visible.  I will also post a cropped version, all the better to see everyone.

 

Doreen said that the photo was taken, by Sr Immaculata, in the Nuns' garden. The old Convent Square School can be seen in the background.   The double windows that can be seen in the school are Mother Berchman's Grade 9 class, grade 8 class, and Sr Immaculata's Grade 6 class.   In the left hand corner of the photo, part of the Convent is visible and to the right of the school, among the trees, you get a little glimpse of that 'famous' Passage Way! 

 

Those who wanted a copy of the photo could buy one for 10 cents each!  I think Sr Immaculata must have been the official photographer because she was still taking class pictures in the late 1950s and possibly early 1960s.  For that we should be grateful to Sr Immaculata because she has left us an excellent photographic record of St Patrick's Girls.  While I am thanking people, I have to say a big 'THANK YOU' to Sean for all his hard work in getting this and some other fantastic pictures to me. 

 

By the way, Doreen has dug into the family archives and come up with some First Communion pictures (St Patrick's and Holy Cross) and a certificate or two. One is from 1911! I hope to post some of these soon so if anyone out there has a First Communion or Confirmation picture, certificate, etc, that you would like to submit, we would be more than delighted to post it.  Just send it to mcallistersmith@gmail.com

 

 




Sr Immaculata's Grade 6 Class, 1948

 

Front Row: Dorothy Nugent, Doreen McAllister, Lorraine Nugent, Maureen Molloy, Margie Stafford, Eileen Penny

2^nd Row: Irma Kelly, Tess Dunphy, Anne Buckingham, Bernadette McCormick, Helen Walsh, Joan Turner, Dorothy Dillon, Joan Skinner, Kay Fowler, Betty Ryall, Mary Tobin

3^rd Row: Shirley Cromwell, Betty Hayes, Mary Hawco, Mercedes McAllister, Helen Power, Anna Tobin, (?), Jean Connolly, Geraldine Horan, (?), Barb Green

4^th Row: Imelda Walsh, Margie Kavanagh, Patsy Picco, Madeline Kavanagh, Blanche Green, Claudine Horan, Pauline Corbett, (?), (?), (?), Genevieve Power, (?)

 



The cropped version