Lough Cutra was the ninth Loretto Convent established in Ireland, and the first Loretto Convent established outside of Leinster. By the end of 1852, Lough Cutra was one of only 9 in the country, with Rathfarnham as the Parent House. Seven of the nine convents were under the immediate direction of Rev. Mother Teresa Ball. These seven convents contained 126 nuns, and 193 boarders.
Lough Cutra was the ninth Loretto Convent established in Ireland, and the first Loretto Convent established outside of Leinster. By the end of 1852, Lough Cutra was one of only 9 in the country, with Rathfarnham as the Parent House. Seven of the nine convents were under the immediate direction of Rev. Mother Teresa Ball. These seven convents contained 126 nuns, and 193 boarders.
On 11th May 1852, Mother Teresa, the superioress of Loretto Convent, Rathfarnham, bought Lough Cooter Castle, the magnificent estate of Lord Gort, when it was put up for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court. She bought it for the sum of £17,000, and the estate included 1,269 acres valued at £779 exclusive of the value of timber.[1]
By 7 June she set out with ten of her sisters for the West from Rathfarnham Abbey. The new Loretto Convent was dedicated by her in honour of St. Joseph and St. Brigid, and was called St. Bride’s. They received a great welcome from all classes; and, within a week of their arrival, were honoured by a visit from the bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Ffrench, though he was suffering from illness at the time, which terminated in his death a month later (20 July 1852). Several members of the aristocracy in the neighbourhood, including Lady Sligo, the Ladies Browne, the Hon. Mrs. And the Misses Lambert, also came to pay their respects; while they were visited by the families of the Catholic gentry who had seats within a 20 mile radius of Gort.
Having being untenanted and in the hands of the Encumbered Estates Court for some time before Mother Teresa bough it, the castle was in a very neglected state, and it was nearly 2 months before she and her nuns after plenty of cleaning, scrubbing, painting and papering, had it ready for the opening of a school.
There was a magnificent demesne attached to the castle, more than 300 acres of park. At recreation time, Mother Teresa and the nuns must have enjoyed their ability to wander through the parkland and woods, with its magnificent beauty.
One of the nuns in the congregation was Sister Xaveria (Jane Fallon of Ruunimeade, Co. Roscommon). Venison figured on the community menu day in, day out, until they were sick of it! Apart from this dish, constantly reappearing because it cost nothing, the community fare was as frugal and life as austere as in any other new foundation. There were unique problems in this new Loreto, which would eventually lead to its abandonment. There was an enormous farm to be managed; numerous workmen, plantations, cottages and tenants.
Mother Teresa wrote to Mother Scholastica in George’s Street;
Last evening your beautiful vase for holy water arrived. Today half-notes for £60 were in time and truly welcome for Dromoland Fair, to stock our land. Owing to your £260 I am peaceful about this foundation, which I am to quit 30th June. School opens 1st July…’ They were not ready to open however, until August 2nd, when a select Day-school for young ladies was started.[2]
According to the Clare Journal newpsaper, 5 May 1853, the newly appointed Bishop Fallon was consecrated in Gort. After the reception in Gort, the Bishop went to Lough Cutra to give the nuns his benediction. The same newspaper of 1 August 1853 reported the following "When it was first publicly announced that Mrs. Ball became the purchase of Loughcooter, the rage of the ultra-Protestant journals grew beyond all bounds. They thought it a piece of intolerable insolence for a Catholic lady to dare even to mediate devoting such a palace to the exercise of the ‘mummeries of superstition.’"
On 15th August the first boarder arrived. Perceiving that the children of the ‘humbler class’ in the neighbourhood of Gort stood in great need of instruction, the Sisters provided for them and accordingly, on 10th October a free school was opened for children of the poor, which before long had 140 pupils in daily attendance.
The difficulties of running such a big estate were, however, enormous. Mother Teresa had hoped to sell some of the land, which the nuns were quite unable to manage. She did succeed in letting over 287 acres in November 1852 for a yearly rent of £308, but even the remaining portion was too much for the nuns. It was not possible to get a purchaser for the land without the house. Mother Teresa felt that so much good was being done for souls, especially for the poor, that she was unwilling to give up the foundation.
In July 1853, she refused an offer of a much higher price than she had paid for the property – some newspaper reports suggest it was as high as £30,000.[3] But in the following year, she realised that it was not possible for the nuns to continue in Lough Cooter. She reluctantly parted with the castle and estate to Lord Gough on 11 January 1854 for £20,000, and the sisters returned to Rathfarnham Abbey on 18th January. The positive impact they left in the area is demonstrated well by the fact that, on the breaking up of the establishment at Lough Cooter, many of the young lady boarders followed the Sister to Rathfarnham, in order to complete their education under their care.
What follows is information about the school from Department of Education Reports;
School Roll Number; 6388
App. 22 June 1853, payment of teacher’s salary. Mistress of free school, Elizabeth White, aged 24, entered the Model School to be trained 1 April 1852, where she remained until the end of June 1852. She taught at Rathfarnham free school until 1 July 1853. 100 females, daily attendance. 120 some days. This school is managed by Eliza Dowling. Roman Catholic school established 27 June 1853. Conducted by nuns 600 yards from the residence. Erected by local funds and no rent paid.
Some members have received training during a period of 6 months in the Commissioners Modal School, Dublin. Some have been teachers in Rathfarnham National School, are highly qualified and have a ‘very good method of conducting school’.
Scholars; some pay 1d per week. Only 13 pupils of the 156 on the rolls pay. The population of the parish is noted as ‘about 3,000’. The majority are Roman Catholic. ‘They are not only poor, but most are destitute.’ The average attendance for the last 6 months are 128 females. Hours of instruction last between 9.45 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Inspector’s Comment; ‘It is all but certain this school will be a prosperous one. Some children would never aspire to become educated, so poor is their lot, if the hope of getting some clothing from the nuns did not tempt them to come to school’.
22 Sep 1853. Granted salary from 1 July 1853. Books for 200 granted. 27 July 1854. Inspector states school premises are going to be sold, and the school will close on 29 July 1854.
8 June 1855, Letter from Mrs. Ball, the requistes belonging to the school have been divided between the Leeson lane Convent and Loreto National School, Co. Dublin. It was struck of the roll on 24 August 1855, and grants were cancelled from 30 June 1854.
References
[1] Freeman's Journal, 21 September 1853, p2, col 6
[2] Downpatrick Recorder, 12 June 1852, p2 col 4
[3] Weekly Freeman's Journal, 15 May 1852, p8, col 3
[2] Dublin Evening Post, 10 July 1852, p2, col 3
Clare Journal, 5 May 1853 p.2
Clare Journal, 1 August 1853, p.3
On 11th May 1852, Mother Teresa, the superioress of Loretto Convent, Rathfarnham, bought Lough Cooter Castle, the magnificent estate of Lord Gort, when it was put up for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court. She bought it for the sum of £17,000, and the estate included 1,269 acres valued at £779 exclusive of the value of timber.[1]
By 7 June she set out with ten of her sisters for the West from Rathfarnham Abbey. The new Loretto Convent was dedicated by her in honour of St. Joseph and St. Brigid, and was called St. Bride’s. They received a great welcome from all classes; and, within a week of their arrival, were honoured by a visit from the bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Ffrench, though he was suffering from illness at the time, which terminated in his death a month later (20 July 1852). Several members of the aristocracy in the neighbourhood, including Lady Sligo, the Ladies Browne, the Hon. Mrs. And the Misses Lambert, also came to pay their respects; while they were visited by the families of the Catholic gentry who had seats within a 20 mile radius of Gort.
Having being untenanted and in the hands of the Encumbered Estates Court for some time before Mother Teresa bough it, the castle was in a very neglected state, and it was nearly 2 months before she and her nuns after plenty of cleaning, scrubbing, painting and papering, had it ready for the opening of a school.
There was a magnificent demesne attached to the castle, more than 300 acres of park. At recreation time, Mother Teresa and the nuns must have enjoyed their ability to wander through the parkland and woods, with its magnificent beauty.
One of the nuns in the congregation was Sister Xaveria (Jane Fallon of Ruunimeade, Co. Roscommon). Venison figured on the community menu day in, day out, until they were sick of it! Apart from this dish, constantly reappearing because it cost nothing, the community fare was as frugal and life as austere as in any other new foundation. There were unique problems in this new Loreto, which would eventually lead to its abandonment. There was an enormous farm to be managed; numerous workmen, plantations, cottages and tenants.
Mother Teresa wrote to Mother Scholastica in George’s Street;
Last evening your beautiful vase for holy water arrived. Today half-notes for £60 were in time and truly welcome for Dromoland Fair, to stock our land. Owing to your £260 I am peaceful about this foundation, which I am to quit 30th June. School opens 1st July…’ They were not ready to open however, until August 2nd, when a select Day-school for young ladies was started.[2]
According to the Clare Journal newpsaper, 5 May 1853, the newly appointed Bishop Fallon was consecrated in Gort. After the reception in Gort, the Bishop went to Lough Cutra to give the nuns his benediction. The same newspaper of 1 August 1853 reported the following "When it was first publicly announced that Mrs. Ball became the purchase of Loughcooter, the rage of the ultra-Protestant journals grew beyond all bounds. They thought it a piece of intolerable insolence for a Catholic lady to dare even to mediate devoting such a palace to the exercise of the ‘mummeries of superstition.’"
On 15th August the first boarder arrived. Perceiving that the children of the ‘humbler class’ in the neighbourhood of Gort stood in great need of instruction, the Sisters provided for them and accordingly, on 10th October a free school was opened for children of the poor, which before long had 140 pupils in daily attendance.
The difficulties of running such a big estate were, however, enormous. Mother Teresa had hoped to sell some of the land, which the nuns were quite unable to manage. She did succeed in letting over 287 acres in November 1852 for a yearly rent of £308, but even the remaining portion was too much for the nuns. It was not possible to get a purchaser for the land without the house. Mother Teresa felt that so much good was being done for souls, especially for the poor, that she was unwilling to give up the foundation.
In July 1853, she refused an offer of a much higher price than she had paid for the property – some newspaper reports suggest it was as high as £30,000.[3] But in the following year, she realised that it was not possible for the nuns to continue in Lough Cooter. She reluctantly parted with the castle and estate to Lord Gough on 11 January 1854 for £20,000, and the sisters returned to Rathfarnham Abbey on 18th January. The positive impact they left in the area is demonstrated well by the fact that, on the breaking up of the establishment at Lough Cooter, many of the young lady boarders followed the Sister to Rathfarnham, in order to complete their education under their care.
What follows is information about the school from Department of Education Reports;
School Roll Number; 6388
App. 22 June 1853, payment of teacher’s salary. Mistress of free school, Elizabeth White, aged 24, entered the Model School to be trained 1 April 1852, where she remained until the end of June 1852. She taught at Rathfarnham free school until 1 July 1853. 100 females, daily attendance. 120 some days. This school is managed by Eliza Dowling. Roman Catholic school established 27 June 1853. Conducted by nuns 600 yards from the residence. Erected by local funds and no rent paid.
Some members have received training during a period of 6 months in the Commissioners Modal School, Dublin. Some have been teachers in Rathfarnham National School, are highly qualified and have a ‘very good method of conducting school’.
Scholars; some pay 1d per week. Only 13 pupils of the 156 on the rolls pay. The population of the parish is noted as ‘about 3,000’. The majority are Roman Catholic. ‘They are not only poor, but most are destitute.’ The average attendance for the last 6 months are 128 females. Hours of instruction last between 9.45 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Inspector’s Comment; ‘It is all but certain this school will be a prosperous one. Some children would never aspire to become educated, so poor is their lot, if the hope of getting some clothing from the nuns did not tempt them to come to school’.
22 Sep 1853. Granted salary from 1 July 1853. Books for 200 granted. 27 July 1854. Inspector states school premises are going to be sold, and the school will close on 29 July 1854.
8 June 1855, Letter from Mrs. Ball, the requistes belonging to the school have been divided between the Leeson lane Convent and Loreto National School, Co. Dublin. It was struck of the roll on 24 August 1855, and grants were cancelled from 30 June 1854.
References
[1] Freeman's Journal, 21 September 1853, p2, col 6
[2] Downpatrick Recorder, 12 June 1852, p2 col 4
[3] Weekly Freeman's Journal, 15 May 1852, p8, col 3
[2] Dublin Evening Post, 10 July 1852, p2, col 3
Clare Journal, 5 May 1853 p.2
Clare Journal, 1 August 1853, p.3