“Though we live in a world that dreams of ending
that always seems about to give in
something that will not acknowledge conclusion
insists that we forever begin.” Brendan Kennelly
St. John’s Convent of Mercy, Balloonagh, Tralee, Co Kerry
St. John’s Convent of Mercy, Balloonagh, Co Kerry
St. John’s Convent, Balloonagh closed officially in November 2015 and the property was handed back to the Bishop of Kerry. The property was put up for sale together with the Catherine McAuley Nursing Home.
Many years before, Sr. Pius Collins RIP and Fr. Maurice Brick had recognised a great need for an interim unit to provide recuperation and respite care for older people in Tralee and surrounding areas due to the curtailment of expenditure by the health services.
They set about the huge task of providing such a service and so Baile Mhuire was established in part of the convent. Over the years Baile Mhuire has proved to be an invaluable asset for the elderly community in Tralee.
Many people give their time and skills to work voluntarily there and there are also nursing services, physiotherapy, music, dancing, bingo etc.
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Baile Mhuire has recently bought the Convent and the McAuley Home with a loan from Clann Credo Community Loan Finance. It is an ideal opportunity to expand the range of services it offers to older people. Baile Mhuire is also renting rooms in the Nursing Home to the HSE.
The Board is presently looking at a facility for the elderly in Kildare and hope to develop a similar one in Tralee.
The weekend of 5th December, 2021 saw the start of a new chapter in Balloonagh Chapel as it welcomed three musical acts for a concert in the deconsecrated church. It too was bought by Baile Mhuire who are pleased to have musical shows there. It has the potential to become a key venue in Tralee’s music and arts scene.
Maureen O’Sullivan rsm
Southern Province
Convent of Mercy Kanturk, Co Cork
Convent of Mercy, Kanturk, Co Cork
After 153 years in Kanturk the Sisters vacated the Convent of Mercy in 2015. It was subsequently sold in 2016 and has now become the “Infinity English College”. Michelle Budden is the Managing Director of this family owned company established in 2004.
The College has 33 bedrooms on site with tailor made facilities for 10 to 17 year olds. It has a classroom block, canteen, IT rooms, games room, student lounge, music room, art room and two and half acres of gardens and playing fields for students to enjoy.
Professionally trained teachers and staff proudly aim to deliver highly communicative English language courses in which all the strands of the programme interconnect to create a dynamic overall experience during students’ language holidays. Junior International English programme offers students 15 or 20 hours of English language tuition per week along with a full activity programme including on-site afternoon activities and exciting half-day excursions, full-day excursions and cultural and sightseeing trips.
Infinity English College gives students an opportunity to become immersed in the Irish culture while learning the English language.
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Presently the College is closed because of COVID-19 restrictions. It is hoping to re-open in March 2022.
Chapelhill School of Art, Macroom, Co Cork
Convent of Mercy, Macroom, Co Cork
In September 2021, Bernadette Tuite, Co-ordinator of Chapelhill School of Art, Macroom invited all the Sisters who had lived in Macroom Convent to revisit the former convent and experience the new life it was enjoying.
Bernadette gave a very insightful account of the tradition of the Sisters in education in Macroom and the way in which this new venture links in with our Mercy tradition.
In 2012 the Mercy Sisters left the Convent and the building closed after 150 years serving the community. Joe Neeson and John McCormack acquired the property in 2016 and embarked on their ambitious plan to create Chapel Hill School of Art. The first phase of this plan began in September 2021 launching art classes in the former stained glass prayer room and chapel.
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A wide variety of classes are available from children’s drawing and painting to adult classes in Textiles, Mosaic, Decoupage, Painting for All, Camera to Cloud- Mobile Phone Videography Class.
St. Catherine’s Hall has been refurbished and it now functions as a workshop for Joe Neeson’s sculpture works.
More work is taking place to convert 2/3 bedrooms into one room. It is hoped to have Air B&B in the building providing accommodation for anyone interested in taking part in Art Workshops in the future.
Former Oratory now being used as a classroom for St. Mary’s Secondary School, Macroom
The former Chapel and the Former Community Room are now leased to the St. Mary’s Secondary School as classrooms and the Prayer Room is now being used as an Art Room.
There are plans to refurbish St. Mary’s Block as a Ceramics studio with classrooms on the first floor.
It is very encouraging to see how the Convent is continuing as an educational centre for the creative arts for the benefit of the local area.
Brigid O’Connell rsm
Southern Province
