In 1827, Catherine established a ‘House of Mercy’ in Baggot Street, Dublin, Ireland. There she and her companions provided food, clothing, hospitality and education for many of Dublin’s poor. In 1831 in order to ensure the continuance of her work, she founded the Sisters of Mercy, and the house of Mercy became her first convent. Today there are thousands of Mercy Sisters working in 44 convents. Baggot Street is now the International Centre of the Sisters of Mercy.

For further information on Baggot Street, visit www.mercyworld.org

The spread of Catherine’s vision to other counties of Ireland and England was rapid. All the early foundations except the first, Dun Laoghaire,were made in answer to pressing requests. These came from lay people, Parish Priests and Bishops who were very conscious of the need for education and care for the many who had little or no access to it in an Ireland which was beginning to rise to its feet after Catholic Emancipation and the repeal of the Penal Laws.

From Baggot Street to:

1835 Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire), Dublin
1836 Tullamore
1836 Charleville, Co Cork
1837 Carlow
1837 Cork
1838 Booterstown, Dublin
1838 Limerick
1838 Bermondsey, London
1840 Galway
1840 Birr, Co Offaly
1841 Birmingham, England
1842 Newfoundland, Canada
1843 Liverpool, England
1844 Queen’s Square, London, England
1844 Harewood Avenue (St. Edwards), London, England
1846 Perth, Western Australia
1846 New York, US
1847 Dundalk, Co Louth
1850 Loughrea, Co Galway
1851 Blandford Square, London, England
1852 Athy, Co Kildare – 1873 Athy to Callan, Co Kilkenny
1866 Athy to Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow – 1870 Rathdrum to Arklow, Co Wicklow
1854 Belfast, Co Down
1855 Clifford, Yorkshire, England
1856 Buenos Aires, Argentina
1856 Goldenbridge, Dublin
1859 Geelong, Victoria, Australia
1861 Longford
1861 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
1861. Mater Hospital Dublin
1877 Our Lady of Mercy College, Carysfort, Dublin
1880 Adelaide, South Australia
1880 Mount Gambier, South Australia
1882 Beaumont, Dublin
1872 Cork Street, Dublin
1944 Mourne Road, Drimnagh, Dublin
1955 Coolock, Dublin
1956 Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa

Click here to visit a website dedicated to the story of how the foundation to Hokitika, New Zealand came about. It traces the journey from Baggot Street to Limerick, from Limerick to Ennis and from Ennis to Hokitika.

Baggot Street  |  Carlow  |  Limerick  |  Birr  |  Templemore

Doon  |  Abbeyfeale  |  Rathangan  |  New Inn