From Rutland Street and St. Maries of the Isle, Cork
On 24th June 2024, Srs. Ann Lenihan, Provincial Treasurer and Dora Lynch, Provincial Archivist visited St. Patrick’s Church. Lower Glanmire Road, Cork City. It was a memorable visit as they recall:
We came to visit the church where the first Sisters of Mercy from Rutland Street and St. Maries of the Isle Cork were buried between 1840 – 1870. We had also arranged to meet the Sacristans, Mr David Dwyer and Mr Pat Lane, to find out more about the crypt.
From the Annals:
8th February, 1840: Death came to the little convent in Rutland St. for the first time. Sr. Mary Francis Mahony who was always delicate had been declared in consumption during the preceding winter and, in suffering much, departed to Our Lord in most happy and holy dispositions. There being no cemetery, she was interred in a vault under the altar of the Blessed Virgin in St. Patrick’s church which continued to be the burial place of our deceased Sisters for many years.
Mr. Lane, who was Chairperson of the group involved in the repair of the crypt in 2016, gave us detailed information on the history of the church with diagrams and information gleaned from previous research. He explained that in the mid-2010s part of the ceiling in the vault of the crypt collapsed. Repair works were carried out in 2016 – 2018. At that time, using special equipment, information on the graves was obtained, which included vault number, name and age of the last occupants, date of death and number of persons buried in each grave. A diagram of the crypt was revised using the following abbreviations: c/c = contains coffin; n/u = not used.
Plan of Vault, St. Patrick’s Church, Cork
Mr. Lane explained that section A of the crypt (see diagram) was under the sanctuary area of the original church. This was of particular interest to us because the Annals of St. Maries of the Isle state that the first Sisters were buried in a vault under the altar of the Blessed Virgin in St. Patrick’s Church. Entrance to the crypt at that time was from the right-hand side of the sanctuary area.
Nowadays, entrance to the crypt is through a small trapdoor (approx. 2 square feet) at the back of the church near the front door, then down a steep ladder perpendicular to the wall on steps approx. 4 inches wide. At this stage it was obvious that only Ann could venture down into the crypt!
Unfortunately, the lights in the crypt did not work that day. However, David and Ann were able to climb down the steep steps using a little torch and the light from the phone. They followed the passage until they came to Vault A. Quite an amount of rubble remains at the entrance to the vault following the repairs in 2016 – 2018. However, Ann was able to climb over the rubble and take photos of Vault A and grave No.55 which contains 5 coffins. The name of the last person to be buried in the grave is recorded. According to the Annals of St. Maries of the Isle. Sr. Mary Angela Davis was the last Sister to be buried in the crypt, she died on 22nd October, 1870. What an incredible moment when Ann stood and prayed at the grave of those pioneering Sisters who brought the charism of Mercy to Cork nearly 200 years ago and who have lain hidden all these years!
Vault A Grave 55
Davis, Anne: Sr. Angela from Clonmel, Co Tipperary. (Vault A Grave 55 +4 )
Parents: John and Anne
Entered: Rutland Street, 14th April, 1842
Professed: 6th August, 1845
Died: 22nd October, 1870
From the Annals: “She was the 15th and last Sister to be buried in the crypt of St. Patrick’s Church.”
Unfortunately, at that time we hadn’t examined the new diagram of the crypt and did not notice then that grave No. 53, marked in the diagram, is the grave of Sr. Mary Gertrude Hogan who was buried on 17th May 1847, aged 36. She was a sister of the well-known sculptor, John Hogan. There are six coffins recorded in this grave.
Margaret Hogan: Sr. M. Gertrude from Cork City
Parents: John and Fanny Hogan
Entered: Rutland Street, Cork, 5th November, 1843
Received: 7th February, 1844
Professed: 13th March, 1846
Died: 17th May, 1847 of famine fever. Aged 36
Buried in Vault A grave number 53 with five others. Sister of John Hogan, sculptor.
From the Annals:
“…A pestilential disease called famine fever raged this year in the city. Ten of the Sisters were stricken down by the malady. Out of this number two died, namely Sr. Mary Gertrude Hogan, a most saintly religious and sister to the eminent sculptor of that name
From the Irish Examiner: 24th May, 1847 – Page 2
Mr. Lane doubts that the area in the diagram marked, “Probably Sisters of Mercy,” is correct as it is a very small vault not big enough for fifteen coffins.
We can identify now the resting place of eleven Sisters…most likely there is another grave nearby for four others. Could it be grave number 54 in vault A in the diagram…?
We only went to pray in the church…we never expected to get access to the crypt nor get photos of grave number 55 and information of grave number 53…
Following our visit Sr. Dora researched the names and found as much information on each Sister as possible – they became real people – those first Sisters of Mercy.
“We are not wholly bad or good,
Who live our lives under Milk Wood,
And Thou, I know, wilt be the first
To see our best side not our worst.”
Dylan Thomas
Dora Lynch, Southern Province Archivist and Marianne Cosgrave, Congregational Archivist
