1883 ( nurses came) 1885 (teachers came) -1990
In 1883, three sisters left Cahir to take up duty in the Workhouse Hospital. Two years later, 1885, another band of sisters joined them to take charge of the Girls’ National and Infants’ School. At that time the only existing school was a two storey building on the Mountain Road. The boys were taught on the upper floor and the girls on the ground floor.
In 1886, the foundation stone of the convent was laid by Rev. T McGrath. In 1910 a school was built near the convent and one for the boys was built outside the town. The Boys’ School closed in 1979 and amalgamated with the convent School when teachers and pupils of both schools went into a new parish school the site of which was given by the Mercy Sisters, Clogheen. Mr. Pat O’Malley took over as principal.
The Workhouse was destroyed by fire during the Civil War. A small Unit, then used as a Fever Hospital, escaped the fire. This hospital continued to function, was later reconstructed and is now known as St. Teresa’s Hospital. In 1994, on the grounds of St. Teresa’s Hospital, a lodge has been renovated and extended to provide a Day Care Centre for the Elderly. The last Sister of Mercy who was Matron in the Hospital, retired in 2012.
Because of the decreased personnel in both school and hospital, it was felt that the convent was too large and uneconomic. It was decided to replace it by a pleasant modern bungalow, built on the site of the old school to accommodate five. At Easter, 1991, the Sisters moved into this bungalow and the convent was sold by December and shortly set up as a guest house. Finally , a local hotelier purchased it and it is now an elite restaurant cum accommodation.(2017)
Convent was closed and sold in December 1991
Southern Province 