A PRESENTATION FACT FOR 10th JANUARY

We have an important fact for today, 10^th January. This is a special day for us because it marks the beginning of St Patrick’s Convent Schools.

Early days, St Patrick's Convent, (Presentation Archives)

The Convent Annals say “On the tenth day of January eighteen hundred and fifty six, Sister Mary Clare Waldron, Sister Mary Ignatius Quinlan, Sister Mary Rose Mullally and Sister Mary Regis Halpin (Novice), religious of the Presentation Order, came from the Motherhouse to establish another house of the Order at Riverhead in this town, under the authority of the Most Reverend Dr Mullock, Bishop of St John’s”.  Sr  Mary Clare was appointed Superior. 

The first School, 1856

Thus it was that St Patrick’s Convent came into being and generations benefited from the ministrations of the daughters of Nano Nagle.  

For  160 years, "Riverhead" was blessed with the presence of the Presentation Sisters.     Regrettably, the Sisters left in 2016 but their influence remains.  We are sad they are gone but so grateful they came.

SR COLUMBA'S BUDGIE, AGAIN

I am greatly indebted to the good people at PRESENTATION CONGREGATIONAL ARCHIVES for this beautiful photo. It certainly brought back memories for me as I am certain it will for many of you. In an earlier post, Marie O'Brien Burkhart had a lovely story about Sr Columba's Budgie (click here for link) so it is with the greatest pleasure I add this photo along with the writing which is on the back of it.

 

Sr Columba was my grade 1 teacher at the Deanery Avenue School but she didn't have a budgie then.  Well, if she did, she never brought it into the classroom or mentioned it.  Later, when the 'new' school opened on Patrick St, Sr Columba taught Grade 4 there and I think, later again, Grade 5.  It was during her years at the 'new' school that Sister acquired her budgie.  Marie, can you remember the bird's name? 

 

Mother Rose was also a very popular and well loved teacher at St Patrick's.  In the late 1950s, she  taught Grade 7 in the Patrick St School.   Long before the opening of the school on Patrick Street, Mother Rose had taught at St Patrick's so it was a return to the West End for this gentle Nun.  Some of  our grandmothers remembered Mother Rose as a young Novice in a white veil in the early part of the 1900s.   Mother Rose had three nieces who became Presentation Sisters.  Sr Mary Aquin, Sr Mary Isadore and Sr Mary Stephanie were the daughters of Frances Reddy Walsh, the only sister of Mother Rose.  I have a dim recollection of Sr Stephanie teaching at St Patrick's in the early 50s and I think that Sr Aquin was at some point a member of the St Patrick's community.

 

Again, my thanks to the  kind folks at Presentation Congregational Archives for the use of this valuable photograph.  It is such a pleasure to recall these wonderful teachers and their contribution to St Patrick's Convent School.  God rest their souls. 

 

Sr M Columba Hannon, Mother M Rose Reddy and
Sr Columba's Budgie (Presentation Congregational Archives)

The writing on the back of the photo
(Presentation Congregational Archives)

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