As far back as 1850 a site for a convent donated by Sir William Wrixon Becher was acquired by Rev. John Fitzgerald with a 200 year lease. In 1851 the independent Diocese of Ross was established. The newly appointed bishop, Dr. W. Keane set about acquiring funds for the building of a convent in Skibbereen. Funds came from legacies of his predecessor, Dr. Crotty, from funds from the Presentation Sister from Doneraile, Mrs. Goolde (£60, 00) and from local subscriptions.
On 5 March 1857 the foundation stone was laid by Dr.W. Keane, Bishop of Ross (Cork Examiner 13/03/1857).The stone came from Sherkin Island. To finance the furnishing of the convent Rev. Beausang CC Skibbereen had the ingenious plan of holding a lottery for a prize of £100. Tickets at £1 each were sold to 400 subscribers. In 1858 Dr. Keane was made Bishop of Cloyne. It was his successor in the Diocese of Ross, Dr. M.O’Hea, who welcomed the Sisters of Mercy from Kinsale to Skibbereen. On the 19th May 1860 Sr. Philomena Maher, Sr. Raphael Sexton, Sr.Evangelist Fallon and Sr. Joseph Walsh, a novice, arrived from Kinsale
On 24 May 1860 the convent was blessed and named ‘Convent of the Immaculate Conception’. The foundation stone of the chapel which was designed by E.E. Pugin and G.C. Ashlin was laid on May 8th 1867. The beautiful chapel was completed on 30th April 1868.
Education
On May 28th 1860 children were enrolled and on June 4th school opened with an enrolment of over 500 pupils. Down through the year the Sisters were involved in providing education in Skibbereen. In 1982, the original St. Joseph’s Girls’ Primary School, which was attached to the Mercy Convent, closed its doors and the new school was officially opened in September of that year. The staff of eight teachers including the Principal, Sr. Dominic Connolly and the Vice Principal, Mrs. Ethel O’ Donavan moved into a beautiful modern building with two playgrounds and extensive green lawns. The last Sister of Sister of Mercy to serve as Principal retired in 1997.
There was a ‘secondary top’ in operation until 1938 where pupils from 7th and 8th standard were prepared for Inter. Cert. and Matric. In 1939 the secondary school in the town, run by Miss McCarthy, closed and at the request of the Bishop, Dr. Casey, a secondary school was established in 1939. In the opening years the students were accommodated in part of the primary school. As numbers increased an extension of seven classrooms and offices were added. In 1971 these were officially opened and named ‘Mercy Heights’. When a new primary school was built in 1982 the old one building was given to the secondary school. This building was renovated over the years bringing it up to modern requirements. It was blessed and officially opened in 1989. In 2000 the principal of the Secondary School who was a Mercy Sister, retired due to serious illness. By 2004 the Mercy Sisters were no longer involved in either primary or secondary schools. In September 2016 the amalgamation of the three secondary schools in Skibbereen took place forming one school- Skibbereen Community School. Skibbereen Community School is a multi-denominational, co-educational school, built upon the Catholic education traditions of the Mercy Sisters, De La Salle Brothers, the Diocese of Cork and Ross and the inclusive ethos of Cork Education and Training Board. Read more.
Workhouse/ Nursing
The Kinsale Workhouse opened 19 March 1842 with accommodation for 800 people.
Between 1875 and 1879 the Sisters were admitted as nurses to the local workhouse. In 1884 Sister Dominic Kiely was appointed Matron. In 1879, following the outbreak of a double epidemic of German measles and typhus on Cape Clear Island, the Sisters of Mercy from Skibbereen travelled each day to that island from October 8 to December 12. The Sisters set up a clinic and visited and nursed the sick in their homes. Again, in 1886, following a request from the then Bishop of Ross, Dr. William Fitzgerald, four Sisters of Mercy from Skibbereen went to Hare Island to care for the people there during an epidemic of typhus. Two of these Sisters caught the fever and one of them, Sister Stanislaus Noonan, aged 41, died as a result.
The Workhouse hospital was burnt 22/23 June 1921 during War of Independence. The Sisters remained with the patients occupying some of the outhouses. In 1925 a new hospital was built. St. Anne’s Hospital catered for the sick of the district. The psychiatric unit was adjacent. Alcoholics were frequently brought to the hospital. Under the care of Sr. Finbarr who seemed to have a special charism in dealing with them many were able to overcome their addiction. Gradually, the Sisters retired from the hospital. Skibbereen Community Hospital still operates today from the site of the old workhouse.
Weaving industry: Owing to unemployment the Sisters were anxious to provide work for young girls and decided to start a weaving industry. In 1889 with the approval and support of Bishop Fitzgerald contact was made with Sir William Ewart of Belfast. He supplied them with all the required information and presented them with two new hand-loom. Others followed his example and in all 23 looms were presented. Later, Sir Williams’s son presented a warping mill. From Skibbereen the weaving industry spread to other convents in other places and flourished up to the outbreak of World War1. Read more
Foundations and Missions:
Rosscarbery Convent was founded from Skibbereen in 1894.
A foundation was made in Bodmin, Cornwall in1902.
In 1960 a foundation was made in Florida in Boca Ratón.
In 1984 Skibbereen convent joined the Diocesan Union of the Sisters of Mercy of Cork and Ross. In 1994 it formed part of the Southern Province of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Ireland. Due to falling numbers and the advancing age of the Sisters the decision was made in 2003 to close the convent. The Sisters moved to other locations in the Southern Province. Some land was given to the school and parish. The convent buildings was sold but it deteriorated and lay idle for many year. In September 2020 planning permission was granted to Remcoll Capital for a €10million development of the site. Sadly, on the 29th September 2020 the building was destroyed by fire, including the beautiful chapel, which had been designed by E.W.Pugin and G.C.Ashlin. Read More
The Contribution of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy to Education Vol 11 Dr.Máire Ní Chearbhaill, Research Fellow. NUI Maynooth July 2011:
Southern Province 