The first Sisters of Mercy in this Diocese came from Wexford to Cappoquin on November 25th 1850. They were Sisters M. de Sales Doyle, Catherine Devereux and Vincent Fanning and they were accompanied by Mother Teresa Kelly and Sr. Igmatius Walsh. They came at the request of Rev. Michael Spratt PP. He found that owing to the presence of Military in the town, the morals of young girls were endangered. A good deal of proselytism was also going on among the famine- stricken poor. The Paris Priest invited the Sisters who would go out among the people and help them. The Sisters arrived in Waterford after a tedious journey by car and remained for the night at the Ursuline Convent where they were very hospitably received. The following day they presented themselves to the Bishop, Most Reverend Dr. Foran, who appointed Sr. Vincent Fanning, Superioress and Sr. M. de Sales as Mother Assistant. In the evening, the Sisters reached Cappoquin. They were received by the Curate, Rev. Richard Walsh, and conducted to their temporary home, a small house on the Main Street with a disused shop in front. The furniture was scarce and was further reduced when neighbours began to drop in for the pieces they had lent. They had a chair each which they carried upstairs or downstairs as needed. In spite of the hardships, the Sisters used to say that they never spent such merry, happy days as in those early times.
The duties of the Institute were undertaken at once – charge of the poor, visitation of the sick and the instruction of adults. In January 1851, the Sisters took possession of their permanent abode, a house opposite the parish church and schools. The convent was enlarged from time to time, by taking in adjoining houses. In 1851 a pension school for the children of the middle classes , was undertaken. It was closed in 1854, reopened in 1856 and finally closed in 1863, the parents consenting to send their children to the common school. The Parish Priest built an addition to the existing schools as a school of industry for the young girls of the town. Muslin, embroidery and point lace-making were taught and found to be fairly remunerative, aiding many starving families.
New members entered the Convent and in 1854 four sisters went to found a convent in Dungarvan. In 1863, a foundation, consisting of three sisters, was sent to Cahir. In this year also, a Sunday School was established for the benefit of young girls who could not attend day school, or, who having finished their education, wished to improve themselves. Reading and writing were taught and religious instruction given. Numbers attended, particularly farm servants and it affected much good. A lending library was also established.
In 1870 the community experienced an irreparable loss in the death of their pastor and founder, Rev. Michael Spratt, as a result of a fall from a horse. To the sisters he bequeathed by will his whole property. A relative of the deceased entered a caveat against the Will, but the latter was obtained, at considerable loss.
In 1873, a certificate was obtained from Government, through the exertions of Charles Kennedy, Esq, Dublin, for the establishment of an Industrial School for boys. It had been earnestly desired by the community that the school should be for the training of girls for domestic service, but too many schools of that kind were already in existence, so no certificate would be granted. The house occupied by the late Fr. Spratt, with the adjoining grounds, was devoted to the Industrial School. The foundation stone was laid on June 19th 1876, by Rev. P. Power PP. the new building was erected on the ground adjoining the former school and the latter was converted into a residence for the Sisters. The architect was Matthew O’Keeffe, C.E. and the builder Mr.Sheehan, Modeligo. It was a plain brick building, cemented on the outside, two storeys high, airy and well adapted to the purpose to which it was devoted, the training of boys between the ages of six to nine years. In 1885, a new wing was added, consisting of an infirmary and workroom, and still later a play hall was built. The people of the town contributed very generously to this project.
In 1875, at the request of Rev. T. Casey, PP, a Convent was founded in Stradbally from this house. By the desire of the most Rev. Dr. Power, a community went to Kilmacthomas in1878.
Constant efforts were made by the Cappoquin community to obtain permanent lucrative employment for girls. Many industries were tried and in 1882 the manufacture of straw envelopes for bottles, was set on foot. Mrs Carroll, an inhabitant of the town, and a great benefactress of the county, gave £150 to purchase requisites and help for the work. It proved very successful at first, but in 1886, the failure of the barley crop raised the price of straw and the work had to be abandoned as no profit would accrue.
In May 1892, Dr. Cani, Bishop of Rockhampton, Queensland, visited the convent and asked for some sisters to help those already working in his diocese. Of those who generously volunteered to go, three were chosen. They sailed in October of that year and sent cheerful accounts of their new home.
A branch house was founded in Ardmore in 1900..
Meanwhile in 1901, the construction of new schools began and in the following year the foundation stone was laid for the erection of a new convent on the site, called Mount St. Joseph’s. In April 1903, the new primary school was opened and in September the new convent was blessed, but the community did not take up entire residence until November 21st. In December, the remains of the deceased sisters were transferred from the old to the new cemetery. The following January, the Constabulary took possession of the main portion of the old convent premises. 1904 saw the disposal by lease to the Poor Law Guardians, Lismore, of the ‘Factory House’, old convent, for a doctor’s residence and dispensary.
The Public Library, opened in March 1910, at the old convent, was transferred on July 16th, to a new iron laundry house erected at Mount St. Joseph’s.
About this times also, at a meeting of superiors of the diocese, it was decided to set up a Central Novitiate in Waterford. The first Cappoquin sister was professed there on April 30th 1912. She was Sister M Teresa Doran.
At the turn of the century, the language revival movement was gaining impetus and with the advent of the Free State, Irish was being taught in the schools. It was arranged that summer courses in Irish be given at several convents to enable sisters to improve their knowledge of the language and be able to meet the requirements of the school programme. The sisters from Cappoquin attended the first Irish course in Ardmore in July 1922.
As numbers increased in the schools, extensions had to be added, so that the green field in front of the convent eventually contained a cluster of buildings. In the 1950’s and 1960’s school enrolment grew and by 1966, there were 315 pupils in St. Anne’s Secondary School, when the boarding school was opened. The same year, a commercial school was set up. This was a very successful project.
In 1971 the foundation stone was laid for two group homes which were eventually to replace St. Michael’s Industrial school. These homes, named Coisceim and Emohruo, were opened in 1973 and in 1975 another group home was set up in a house, Glencree, some distance from the town. After a few years, this house was sold and is still used as a Nursing Home. St. Michael’s was sold in 1977, to Mr. and Mrs. Flynn, who converted it into a guest house., now known as Riverview Guesthouse. Coisceim and Emohruo are still thriving and now under lay management.
In 1985, a major renovation and decoration of the Convent chapel was undertaken, according to the best modern and liturgical style. That same year, the Union of the Sisters of Mercy in the diocese of Waterford and Lismore was inaugurated and as a result Cappoquin saw some of its old faces depart and new ones arrive.
During Lent 1989, a group called ‘Community and District Development ‘ was set up in Cappoquin. It’s aim was to find ways of improving the fabric of the local community and one of it’s first decisions was a Day Care centre for the elderly. Having done a survey of the area and organised major fund raising events, a serviced site was obtained from Waterford Co. Council and an application made to the S.E.H. B. for capital funding from the National Lottery. Bishop Michael Russell turned the first sod on December 14th 1991. Work on the building began in January 1992 and was completed by the end of August. The centre was officially opened by President Mary Robinson on September 12th 1992. The centre is serving a wide area and the Cappoquin Sisters, true to a long tradition, continue to minister to and be involved in a close way with the local community.
Gradually the number of Sisters living in the convent declined and in 2004 the decision was made to close the convent. Sisters went to live to Convent of Mercy Dungarvan or other places. However, Sisters continued their involvement in the Day Care from Dungarvan.
Sale of convent
The property was sold in 2005 to a developer. It subsequently ended up being sold by NAMA. The Coptic Monks bought it from NAMA and are living there at present. (2017)
Southern Province 