In 1874, the Reverend Dr Fitzgerald, parish priest of Carrick-on-Suir invited the Sisters of Mercy in Wexford to establish a foundation in the town. Four sisters duly arrived and set up at New Street. Meanwhile a building known as the Red House, which had once been the town house of the Wall family of Coolnamuck was prepared as the convent. The late Maurice O Donnell had donated this property. When the sisters moved to Main Street, they were pioneers in providing second level education in the town for girls.
In 1885, St Joseph’s National School began in Mill Street before moving in 1887 to Greystone St. At that time, many families in the town lived in dire poverty, so breakfast and midday meals were provided for the children as well as footwear and clothing in many cases. In addition, sisters visited homes, nursing the sick and dying.
In 1878, at the request of the Poor Law Guardians, the sisters took over responsibility for the hospital attached to the workhouse. This building was located on the site of Treacy Park until it was destroyed by fire in 1922. From 1886, the sisters also ran the Workhouse school for girls under 14.
One of the works dear to the foundress of the Mercy sisters, Catherine McAuley was the House of Mercy. This was an institution to train girls to prepare them for skilled employment and homemaking duties. In 1890, the Carrick-on-Suir House of Mercy was set up at Deerpark on the Clonmel road. In 1894, the father of one of the sisters donated premises on Greystone Street. This had been in use as a creamery and store. The sisters purchased handlooms and knitting machines which also provided employment to young women. A public laundry was also established known as the Spring Park laundry which continued in operation until the outbreak of World War II. In the early 20th century, the House of Mercy had ceased to exist and it was replaced by Saint Joseph’s Technical College (established under Department of Education)
Later this school became known as St Joseph’s Residential College of Domestic Science where young women from all over Ireland came here to train in preparation for entrance to domestic science colleges in Sion Hill and Cathal Brugha Street. It was also seen as training for wives of farmers! St Joseph’s closed in 1991, and the building was recently demolished to provide the site of the new Gael Scoil.
Foundations were established from the Mercy order in Carrick on Suir until the 1960s.. These included Gore in New Zealand, Mansfield in Victoria, Australia and later foundations in El Cerrito and Los Altos CA.
Meanwhile, on Main Street, the second level school, Scoil Mhuire and a junior school, St Anne’s, continued to flourish and eventually a boarding school was also established. In 1925, Scoil Mhuire was awarded the prestigious Government shield for Oral Irish. The number of pupils increased, with enrolment at the boarding school at one point exceeding 120 students, leading to the addition of more buildings, dormitories, and classrooms in the 1940s and 1950s.
Following the introduction of free secondary education in 1967, a decision was made to build a new secondary school on a greenfield site at Greenhill. Greenhill included a house and farm that had been donated many years earlier by a parent of a member of the community. It was also decided to merge with the Presentation Sisters, with secondary education being managed by the Sisters of Mercy at Scoil Mhuire in Greenhill, and primary education being taken over by the Presentation Sisters at Greenside.
Saint Anne's Junior School amalgamated with Saint Joseph's National School on Greystone St in the late 1960s. In 1974, Scoil Mhuire opened at Greenhill and the boarding school was phased out in the following years. In 1974, the principal was Sr Benedict Andrews and Ms Helen O Mahony was vice principal with 590 students enrolled.
In 1991, Scoil Mhuire’s first lay principal, Mr Fergus Dunne was appointed. In 1992 the Main Street convent closed its doors, and the community moved to a new convent at Greenhill.
Another new chapter in the history of the school saw the transfer of trusteeship to CEIST. Scoil Mhuire continues to develop with a reputation for high academic standards, sporting success and a welcoming and pastoral approach for all of students.
In this 150th celebration year, 486 students are enrolled with Ms Mary O Keeffe as principal, assisted by Ms Michelle Sullivan, deputy principal. Programmes on offer in the school include the Junior Cycle, Transition year programme, traditional Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied Programme and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme.
Mary Greene, former pupil and staff member