1811 The Presentation Sisters were established. Their
convent, primary and secondary schools, were formerly in Tullow Street
From the early 1800's to the end of the century a family
called Calbeck lived in what is now Moyle Park House. Mrs. Calbeck, who
was a Catholic, established a school for the local Catholic children - no
education whatever was available to them at the time. Around 1850,
however, her daughter, who had taken on the good work of her mother,
realised that she was unable to continue, so she contacted the local
parish priest, Fr. Moore, and offered him £2000 to build a convent and
school if he could procure an Order of Sisters who were devoted to
education. He contacted Presentation Convent, Carlow and four Sisters took
up residence in the newly built convent on Dec. 8th 1857. Two hundred
children enrolled at the school on the first day and within a year the
number of Sisters had increased to, eighteen.
- How the Presentation Convent looked c.1860.
- Source: The Nationalist 1984
|
Source:
http://clondalkin.dublindiocese.ie/Presentations.html
Chapter 18 Part 2 of the An Tostal Programme for 1953 is dedicated to
the Presentation Convent.
Patrick Maher of Kilrush in Suncroft Parish with his brothers, Thomas
and William, made an offer to Fr. Patrick Brennan, P.P., Kildare, to found a
Convent of Presentation Sisters in Kildare for the education of poor
female children. In July, 1829, Father Brennan arranged with the Bishop,
Dr. Doyle, that the foundation should be made. The ground on which the
convent and Parish Church stand was for disposal and Father Brennan
purchased it from Lewis Kelly for £100, aided by Messrs. Maher, Cullen,
and Verdon. Father Brennan had the purchase enclosed with a stone wall. A
house, garden and school were provided and furnished with every requisite
for the Sisters who were to be sent there by the Bishop.
He drew up a lease of the land and houses for three Sisters named by
him to the Bishop. These were Sister Angela Mooney, Sister Augustine Maher
and Sister Clare Dillon. Sister Angela was sister of Father Mooney, P.P.,
Rosenallis (1847-76), who built Capard Church in 1863. Sister Augustine
was sister of Father James Maher, P. P., Carlow Graig and aunt of Cardinal
Cullen. Sister Clare was from Portlaoise and was aunt of Cuffe of Cuffes,
Salesmen, Dublin.
Father Brennan reserved a rent of £18 for himself and
his successors on condition that the convent would give back portion of
the land as a site for a future Parish Church. Sister Angela Mooney was
appointed first superioress of Kildare by J.K.L. in the Carlow Convent
Chapel in the presence of the community and of Sister Augustine Maher, and
Sister Clare Dillon who had been professed that day. On Thursday in Easter
Week, 1830, at 5 p.m. they arrived in Kildare. A few days later the
Sisters opened their school to a small number of pupils. The cottage which
housed these pioneer Sisters was on the edge of the road, where the
boundary wall stands. A new convent was built in 1839. It was blessed on
22nd, August of that year, and after Mass had been celebrated in it the
Sisters took up residence in it. Owing to the increasing number of pupils,
Father Nolan, P.P., had the schools adjoining the Convent built in 1869.
In 1854 Sister Catherine Cullen left Kildare to assist in establishing
a Presentation Convent in Mountmellick. In 1874, Mothers John Byrne, Paul
Fay, Evangelist Kelly and Stanislaus Dunne left Kildare with Mother Xavier
Byrne of Presentation Convent, Mountmellick to make a foundation in the
far-away mission of Wagga, New South Wales. Their labours were blessed by
God as shown by the numerous Presentation Convents now in Australia.
In 1881 the Sodality of the Children of Mary was established in
Kildare Convent Schools by Dr. Kavanagh, P.P., The Infants’ School wing
was added in 1902. The architect was Mr. Francis Bergin, and the builders,
Messrs. D. & J. Carbery. The late Bishop Cullen with the unanimous consent
of the ten Presentation convents in his diocese had all the convents
amalgamated. He blessed and opened a Mother House and Novitiate at Mount
St. Anne’s, Portarlington. The Second Mother-General was Mother Angela
Mooney of the Kildare Convent, grand niece of the Foundress. In 1937, to
provide for the increased number of pupils -over 500 were now on rolll, a new
wing was added. At present there are 660 on roll.
Chapter 18 Part 2 of the An Tostal Programme for 1953 is dedicated to
the Presentation Convent.
