Bantry

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GENERAL NOVITIATE

In 1910 Sister Francis Foley, a native of Limerick, entered Bantry Convent, bringing with her £10,000 and furniture. Her money also provided electric light for the convent.  In 1914 at the request of Most Rev. Dr. O’Callaghan, Bishop of Cork, a General Novitiate was established in Bellville, Cork, the expense of which was provided by the money brought to the convent by Sr. Francis. It opened February 1916 and closed in 1922. The property was sold November 1922. The disturbed state of the country made travelling very dangerous and difficult in 1922.

                                                 THE WORKHOUSE/HOSPITAL BANTRY

Bantry Workhouse was built on a six acre site following the design of George Wilkinson. It had accommodation for 800 people. The building cost £8,200 including fittings. The first occupants were admitted 24 April 1845.

The Sisters of Mercy, in Bantry since1860, initially visited the inmates on a frequent basis and gradually were invited to work there. In 1890 Sr. Francis Corcoran was elected sister in charge by the Board and Sr. Stanislaus in charge of the Fever Hospital. The Sisters continued to work there until 1921 when the Workhouse was burned down.  The inmates, staff and Sisters were all transferred to Bantry House invited there by the owners, the Leigh White family.                       

In the meantime Cork Co. Council was making provision for its people and had a District Hospital built and ready by 1928 for occupation by patients, staff and Sisters. It was built on the Workhouse site. In 1956 further progress in West Cork was planned with the building of an acute Medical and Surgical Hospital replacing the District Hospital. Both hospitals were built on the site of the Workhouse. The General Hospital was completed in 1958. It was on a much larger scale than the District Hospital. While the work was in progress 1956-1958 the nursing Sisters were all sent to the hospitals in West Cork and returned in early 1960 to commence duty on April 1st 1960, opening day. In all there were twelve Sisters working in the General Hospital in the 1960s. At this time the County Council was in charge. Later ownership was transferred to the Southern Health Board. The Sisters of Mercy have been working on this site since Workhouse days in the 1870s and they were in charge since 1890s. The last Sister to work in the hospital retired in 2003. The Sisters left the hospital accommodation in 2001 and went to live in a smaller house in the town.

EDUCATION

In the years before 1921 the Sisters gave a very broad education. As well as the 3 R’s they taught Music, Singing, Sewing and Elocution. Under our own Government a prescribed programme had be followed and required special training. Sisters were sent to Carysfort Training College and then taught in Bantry and Schull Primary Schools. They eventually taught in a Secondary Top, where they took pupils to Leaving Certificate level. The numbers of second level students increased and in 1954 they were registered as a Secondary School. The staff consisted of one Sister with B.A. and H.Dip. and two lay teachers, Miss Spillane and the late Marie Hobbs.

A big problem in those days was to get teachers. Local girls could not afford to go to college so the summer holidays were spelt searching for teachers most of whom wanted to teach in Cork city. The situation improved when after 4 years a second Sister was qualified with .B.Comm H.Dip.  For the next 10 years there were two Sisters on the staff but then Peru called and one was sent and one was left. In the following years, two more Sisters were sent to college and qualified. One left religious life. The other taught for four years and was then sent to Peru.

The accommodation and the facilities in St. Mary’s Secondary School were very poor and inadequate’ but the pupils were wonderful, some cycling miles to school in all weathers. Free education and free travel brought in more and more until they overflowed into three different old buildings. Finally, in 1972 by order of Bishop Lucey, the secondary pupils were amalgamated with Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh- a Boys’ school of half our numbers, operating in rooms in the Boys’ Club with Rev. Liam Leader as Headmaster. A new building was erected on our ground. The first Principal was Fr. Leader and he named the school ‘Ard-Scoil Pobal Beanntraí’.

In the last years, before the amalgamation of the schools, novices were sent to join the classes and were prepared for Leaving Cert. They were then sent to college and to training for nursing in the Mercy Hospital.

PRIMARY SCHOOL

In the Primary School the staff of Sisters was sizeable and permanent over a long period and was reduced mainly by retirement. One Sister was sent to Peru. In 1974 a .new school was built on the convent grounds. Up to 1990 there were three Sisters on the staff but owing to the decrease in the numbers of pupils and the Department Regulations regarding the placement of teachers, the staff gradually consisted of lay-teachers, some of our past- pupils and one Sister, who was headmistress. As well as the usual curriculum in primary education there were two special classes in separate buildings, one for Moderate and one for Mildly Handicapped children.

In the early years, the convent had acquired 23 acres in fields surrounding the house.  In 1938 there were two men working on the farm. They grew potatoes and vegetables and kept cows. We had a room called the, Dairy-where the milk was cooled in large pans and skimmed. Gradually the land was let for grazing.

During all the years since the foundation there were Sisters who did neither teaching nor nursing. They fulfilled their vocation by providing for the community, workers on the farm and in the kitchen and more importantly, by their lives of prayer and dedication. They gave invaluable support, to the mission of the Sisters of Mercy.

In 2007 as numbers declined and Sisters retired from active ministry it was decided to close the convent and live in smaller houses in the town.  The convent and surrounding land was given to the housing agency, Clúid, on 1st February 2013 for sheltered housing development. Read more