History of St. John of God Convent and School
On the right, in the first picture, we can see the houses on Alphonsus' Road where the original St. John of God school was founded in 1897. Look how small it is! In the second picture we can see the present day school which was opened in 1964. The third picture shows the old Saint John of God Convent on Passage Road.
History of Saint John of God Convent
In 1871, on 7th October, Most Reverend Dr. Furlong, Bishop of Ferns founded the sisters of Saint. John of God in Wexford. These sisters went to the homes of sick people and nursed them.In 1893 the Bishop of Waterford, Most Reverend Dr. Sheehan invited some of the sisters to come to Waterford to do similar work.
On 14th August 1893 four sisters left Wexford. They were Sr. Mary Peter Dooley, Sr. Benedict Kenny, Sr. Bernard Foley and Sr. Dominic Dunphy. The sisters lived firstly in Ozier Bank House, Poleberry. They daily visited the homes of sick people and nursed them to health. More women joined the sisters and they moved to a bigger convent on John’s Hill. This house served as their convent until July 1994. The sisters then moved into The Cloisters on John's Hill and the old convent was demolished. The Bishop of Waterford was a great patron to the sisters in the communities earlier years. He provided money for them to train as nurses.
History of Saint John of God School
The bishop also saw the need for a school for the poorer girls of the area. He provided money for some of the sisters to train as teachers. In 1897, a girls’ school was set up on Alphonsus’ Road in two rented houses. In October 1897, the Bishop opened Saint John of God School. The school had 100 pupils on its first day. The principal was called Sr. Aloysius O’Connell.
The school continued in these two houses until 1964. By then it had grown and the two houses were too small for all the pupils. On October 14th 1964, Very Rev. Keane blessed and opened a new extension to the school. This consisted of a block of 10 classrooms, a domestic science room and a library. The ground school of the original building was changed to a hall. The sisters provided free secondary education for girls on the upper floor of the original school from 1943 until 1967. When free education was brought in by the government in 1967, the “Secondary Top”, as it was known, closed.
The centenary (100th birthday) of the school was celebrated in 1994. Sr. Therese Marie was principal of the school at that time and Father Liddane was the Chairperson of the Board of Management. Sr. Therese Marie retired in 1998 and Mrs. Walsh was appointed as the first lay principal of the school. Mrs. Patricia Walsh retired in 2004. Sr. Una Guing was the last St. John of God Sister to teach in the school. When she retired in 2001, it marked the end of an era for our school. We still have contact with the sisters - Sr. Úna and Sr. Annunciata are regular, welcome visitors and the St. John of God sisters are the trustees of our school.
Father Liddane is still our chairperson. Mrs. Ann Giffney retired in June 2014 and Mrs. Anne Morris is now principal of Saint. John of God.
History of Saint John of God Convent
In 1871, on 7th October, Most Reverend Dr. Furlong, Bishop of Ferns founded the sisters of Saint. John of God in Wexford. These sisters went to the homes of sick people and nursed them.In 1893 the Bishop of Waterford, Most Reverend Dr. Sheehan invited some of the sisters to come to Waterford to do similar work.
On 14th August 1893 four sisters left Wexford. They were Sr. Mary Peter Dooley, Sr. Benedict Kenny, Sr. Bernard Foley and Sr. Dominic Dunphy. The sisters lived firstly in Ozier Bank House, Poleberry. They daily visited the homes of sick people and nursed them to health. More women joined the sisters and they moved to a bigger convent on John’s Hill. This house served as their convent until July 1994. The sisters then moved into The Cloisters on John's Hill and the old convent was demolished. The Bishop of Waterford was a great patron to the sisters in the communities earlier years. He provided money for them to train as nurses.
History of Saint John of God School
The bishop also saw the need for a school for the poorer girls of the area. He provided money for some of the sisters to train as teachers. In 1897, a girls’ school was set up on Alphonsus’ Road in two rented houses. In October 1897, the Bishop opened Saint John of God School. The school had 100 pupils on its first day. The principal was called Sr. Aloysius O’Connell.
The school continued in these two houses until 1964. By then it had grown and the two houses were too small for all the pupils. On October 14th 1964, Very Rev. Keane blessed and opened a new extension to the school. This consisted of a block of 10 classrooms, a domestic science room and a library. The ground school of the original building was changed to a hall. The sisters provided free secondary education for girls on the upper floor of the original school from 1943 until 1967. When free education was brought in by the government in 1967, the “Secondary Top”, as it was known, closed.
The centenary (100th birthday) of the school was celebrated in 1994. Sr. Therese Marie was principal of the school at that time and Father Liddane was the Chairperson of the Board of Management. Sr. Therese Marie retired in 1998 and Mrs. Walsh was appointed as the first lay principal of the school. Mrs. Patricia Walsh retired in 2004. Sr. Una Guing was the last St. John of God Sister to teach in the school. When she retired in 2001, it marked the end of an era for our school. We still have contact with the sisters - Sr. Úna and Sr. Annunciata are regular, welcome visitors and the St. John of God sisters are the trustees of our school.
Father Liddane is still our chairperson. Mrs. Ann Giffney retired in June 2014 and Mrs. Anne Morris is now principal of Saint. John of God.
