1863-2015
On Whit Monday, May 13th , three Sisters of Mercy – Teresa Phelan, Frances Kennedy and Augustine O’Connor – came from Cappoquin to make a foundation in Cahir. For the next fifteen years they lived in rooms in Castle Street and in 1878 they rented a room by the river Suir on the Mall. On arrival, they opened a private school and carried on visitation of the sick and poor. Sr. Teresa Phelan was appointed Superior by the Bishop. In 1865 a National School was built and given in charge to the Sisters by Rev. M. Mooney.
During this period a number of candidates entered and clothing ceremonies were held in the Parish Church. On January 24th, 1864, Catherine Bourke, in religion, Sr. M. Joseph, from the parish of Lattin, Co. Tipperary, entered and made her religious profession in September 1866. On September 24th 1864, Mary Kennedy, in religion Sr. M Aloysius of Knockgraffon, New Inn, entered and was professed in 1867. Honoria Dunne, in Religion, Sr. M Berchmans, entered on October 14th 1869 and was professed on April 23rd 1872. There is no record of where she was born. Three months after her profession, she contracted pneumonia in the damp house on the Mall and died on July 25th 1872. Sr. M. Aloysius Kennedy was the next to die of pneumonia which had developed into tuberculosis. She died on May 11th 1875. Both were buried in the Churchyard immediately behind the high altar in St. Mary’s Church. Later the chancel was built over the site of their graves, so that these are now located inside the church in front of Our Lady’s Altar.
The site of the present convent was leased to the Sisters by Lady Margaret Butler Charteris in 1876. The foundation stone was laid by Count Moore of Mooresfort the following year. His grandson donated the inscribed silver trowel used a ceremony a hundred years later. ( this was donated to Heritage Centre Charleville).The building of the convent – in cut limestone –was begun and supervised by Mother Bernard Vaughan, Superior. Owing to lack of funds it had to be discontinued for some time. However, a wealthy widow from Tipperary town, Mrs. Catherine McHugh, gave the loan of a large sum of money and the building was recommenced. Later on, she entered and donated all her property to the community. An extension was added to the building in 1881 and the convent was then dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
The present chapel was built in 1888. It is interesting to note that the erection of the ornate marble and alabaster High Altar was carried out by an uncle of Padraig Pearse, who had marble works in Dublin at the time. Of interest also is a small brass crucifix, a relic of the Penal days, kept on Our Lady’s altar in the chapel. It belonged to Fr. O’Donnell and came into the possession of the 0’Donnells of Clonmore who gave it to a relative in the community. The beautiful sanctuary lamp, hand engraved and made by the famous silversmiths – Le Bas of Dublin – was donated by friends of the community in 1876.
The first branch house was founded in Portlaw in 1883 and later became autonomous. The sisters went to Clogheen (1885) and Clonmel in 1883 and to Ballyporeen in 1886, and much later, in 1956, a branch was founded in Wales.
A boarding school was begun in 1909 and was developed into the present secondary school, Scoil Criost Ri, which was blessed and formally opened by the late Canon Crotty in 1934. Early in 1962, part of the field, across the road from the convent ( 5 acres approx) was given to the parish for the erection of two schools, a new girls’ school under the care of the sisters of Mercy and a new boys’ school under lay teachers. The old national school was demolished in 1967 to provide a site for a large ‘Roh-fab’ extension to the Post Primary School. A decision was made by the Department of Education to amalgamate the three schools in Cahir into a community College.
A bungalow for the workmen was built on the field adjoining the convent garden in 1963. After some time, when it was no longer used by the workers, it was redecorated and set up as a guest house, providing accommodation for relatives and friends of the Sisters and for priests giving community retreats.
Centenary celebrations at the convent took place on May 15th 1963. The opening function was a solemn Mass of Thanksgiving, celebrated in the parish church. The visitors and sisters were entertained in the Parochial hall by pupils from the Primary and Secondary Schools.
Sadly, Cahir convent closed March 2015.The remaining nine sisters transferred to the Convent Greenhill, Carrick-on-Suir.
The property was put up for sale and was bought by in 2016 by the Coptic Monks. It is now called St Mina Coptic Church . Pope Tawadros visited there 20 May 2017. Among the guest invited to meet His Holiness were the Sisters of Mercy Cahir.-five Sisters attended the ceremony.
Southern Province 