250 years of Ursuline Sisters in Ireland – 1771 to 2021

20/05/2021

On Sunday 9th May the Province of Ireland/Wales celebrated 250 years since the first Ursulines arrived in to Cork, Ireland on what was that year, Ascension Thursday.  

It was Penal times in Ireland, a time when Catholics were forbidden to practice their faith or to receive an education, unless they were wealthy and could send their children to schools in Europe. In the 1760’s a young woman, Nano Nagle had begun to educate Catholic poor children in Cork city and to ensure the continuation of her work, she desired that a religious order would come to Cork, and she fixed her mind on the Ursuline Order whom she knew were engaged in education in France. Irish girls would receive their formation as Ursulines at the Ursuline Monastery of Rue St Jacques in Paris and on their return to Cork, Nano would provide a convent in Cove Lane for them where they could easily assist with her work. The monastery accepted Eleanor Fitzsimons, Margaret Nagle, Elizabeth Coppinger and Mary Kavanagh into the novitiate. 

After many trials it was eventually agreed that Mother Margaret Kelly of the Ursulines in Dieppe would accompany the four to Ireland and become the Superior of this new Ursuline foundation.

The day Nano Nagle had longed for finally arrived on the 9th May, 1771, Ascension Thursday when the group arrived into the Port of Cork to begin this new apostolate alongside Nano.

On Sunday 9th May, 2021 Ursuline Sisters, colleagues, family and friends gathered, via zoom due to covid-19 restrictions, to pray together, to give thanks and to celebrate 250 years of Ursuline life in Ireland.