In 1856 the parish priest of Clonakilty, Fr. Morgan Madden, applied to Rev.Mother Teresa Maher, Convent of Mercy, Kinsale to provide him with a teaching staff of at least four Sisters to staff a school for Catholics which he had built in Clonakilty. Mother M. Teresa, with the consent of her community, acquiesced and sent four Sisters to begin the work and to form the nucleus of a new branch of the Order of Mercy in Clonakilty.
On the 30th of April 1856 Mother Teresa with four professed Sisters, Sr. Genevieve O’Donoghue, Sr. Philomena Maher, Sr. Camillus de la Hoide and Sr. Magdalen Lordan left Kinsale accompanied by Rev. Morgan Madden P.P.Clonakilty and Rev. J. Kelleher P.P. Kinsale to open a new branch in Clonakilty. After stopping for a few hours with the Presentation Sisters in Bandon they reached their destination.
They found a pretty cottage comfortably furnished awaiting to serve them for some time as a convent. On the grounds a fine school was built, three storeys high and furnished for commencing school at once.
Next day, May 1st 1856, Bishop Keane, Bishop of Ross and priests from different parishes visited them to welcome them to the parish. A number of townspeople also visited and welcomed them to Clonakilty.
On May the 9th 1856 the Immaculate Conception Primary School was opened. The children first assembled in the parish church where Fr, Madden spoke to them and consecrated them to the Mary Immaculate and recited the Litany of Loretto. Then ahead of 800 children he walked with them from the church to the new school. Their names were taken down and they were classified according to their knowledge. Sr. Genevieve was appointed Senior Sister and with her three companions coped with work and management of the school. The school was looked on with suspicion as it was seen as being opposition with an existing Vested school in the town. It wasn’t recognized by the National Board of Education until June 1857 which caused great expense to Fr. Madden who had to supply books and other requisites at his own expense. The daily attendance as recorded on the Annals was more than 500.
On March 25th 1857 Fr. Madden brought a little 5 year old girl whose mother had died to the Sisters . Soon there were 12 other children to be cared for. This was the beginning of the Orphanage. A weekly collection in the town and support from Fr. Pat Madden in Australia and other generous donations supported the venture. In October 1867 the necessities of the locality obliged the Sisters to open an Infant School for little boys.
In January 1867 the cottage was unfit for dwelling and the health of the Sisters began to suffer; Mother Genevieve decided to transfer the community to the top storey of the school. On 4th of March 1861 they moved to their new home.
On July 1860 the foundation of the new convent was laid but the building did not commence until May 1861. The farmers of the locality gave their horses and their own labour to draw stones and lime. The building went on in spite of the fact that funds were low.
On 16th July 1864 the new convent was completed and solemnly blessed under the title of Our Lady of Mercy of the Sacred Heart.
In September 1869 the community was asked if they would be willing to take charge of the Industrial School. The Government was anxious to establish them in Ireland and would allow a grant of 5 shillings per week for the maintenance of the children. It was hoped that the Grand Jury of each county would also contribute but the responsibility of building and furnishing would rest entirely on the community. With the advice and approval of the Bishop the community decided to undertake the work. In November 1869 the Industrial School was certified under the title St. Aloysius Industrial School. Difficulties relating to the erection of the new building were encountered and a smaller building than planned was completed 24 September 1872 but it did not provide adequate accommodation and a new three storey building replaced it 1885. The children came from all over the county and numbers continued to rise from year to year ranging in age from one year to 17 years. The school was closed in 1966.
Visitation of the sick and the elderly in the town and country was another important part of the Mercy apostolate from the beginning.
In 1875 Sisters went on a foundation to Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford. Due to complications and difficulties they returned home in 1878. Work in the Workhouse in St. John’s Hill, Waterford was undertaken 1875. Dunmore East, Co. Waterford was founded in 1883. Mother Columba Marmion was the superioress of this foundation. She was sister of Dom Marmion, Benedictine Monk. Srs. Lorenzo and Peter were her sisters both in the Clonakilty community.
The poverty in the town and country was extreme especially in the late 1870s and 1880s. The Sisters appealed for help and donations for the poor poured in from all parts of the world- £300 from America; £75 from the Bishop of Savannah; £20 from the Land league; £5 from Lord Shannon and £2000 from the Propagation of the Faith to mention a few.
The Sisters gave a meal to the children each day at school. Men were employed to do work around the farm and build a wall around the convent to provide income for them.
January 11th 1887 the Sisters were asked to take charge of the Workhouse Hospital in Clonakilty. In May 1887 Sr. Catherine O’Brien, Sr. Benedict Murphy and Magdalen Walsh got charge of the workhouse and Sr. Martha Heron attended to the little convent. Part of Clonakilty Workhouse was burnt during the War of Independence,
The Local Government was anxious for some time that the Sisters of Mercy would take over full charge of the Workhouse residents who were to be transferred from all over West Cork. It was called The West Cork County Home. In November 1925 Sr. Brigid O’Mahony was appointed Matron with extra Sisters to staff the whole area. Sr. Bernadette Leahy, Kinsale, came to help in the hospital for three years.
The County Home and Sacred Heart Hospital were run by the West Cork Board of Health with two matrons and separate administration until their amalgamation in 1974 when it became known as Mount Carmel Home and Hospital. Between 1965 and 1968 the building was renovated. The Southern Health Board took over in 1968. October 30th 1990 the Psychiatric Hostel was opened. November 16th 1990 the Day Care Centre was opened.
The General Novitiate was established in Clonakilty in May 1929 by Bishop Dr. Roche, Bishop of Ross. Mother M. Kevin Ferguson was appointed Novice Mistress. Postulants came from Skibbereen and Rosscarbery for two year’s novitiate. Later some came from Band Passage West.
From July 1908 secondary education up to Intermediate Cert. was provided free of charge to the senior pupils in the Secondary Top of the Primary school. In 1912 some of the pupils got prizes from the Secondary Board for modern languages. In 1941 Sacred Heart Secondary School opened. In the first year there were 44 on rolls and 5 teachers on staff. A small fee per annum was paid until the introduction of Free Education in 1966. The secondary school expanded continuously which necessitated major extensions of buildings and the inclusion of specialist areas. Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty, Co. Cork is an all-girls secondary school, under the trusteeship of CEIST.
A boarding school for girls was opened in 1956 to accommodate 100 boarders. It operated where possible on a five day week basis. The boarding school closed in 2005.
In November 1965 the foundation of a new primary school and assembly hall was laid. On August 28th 1967 the buildings were complete and ready for occupation. The school was dedicated to St. Joseph,
On August 25th 1960 the mission to Jacksonville, Florida began. Four Sisters pioneered this mission which was undertaken at the request of the pastor, Fr. Leo Danaher. They worked in the school and also in other parish ministries over the years. In 2014 the mission ended and the remaining Sisters returned to Clonakilty.
As the convent building needed extensive renovation due to dry rot and other age related problems it was decided in 2004 to close the building and build a new convent on a nearby site. Though plans were drawn up in 2004 work did not begin until October 2006. On 1 July 2009 the Sisters moved in to their new convent, Arus Muire, McCurtain Hill, Scartagh, Clonakilty. The old convent was given to the Department of Education as part of the Redress scheme. Sadly, to date (2021) the building lies idle and is deteriorating much to the sadness and distress of the community and the people of Clonakilty. Read more
Southern Province 