<p> Mná Dhúthalla (Women of Duhallow) and St. Mary MacKillop</p><p>Have you worn a Duhallow cardigan? If the answer is ‘yes’ then you will be familiar with the name Duhallow. The knitwear factory was situated in Kanturk in the area of north-west Cork called ‘Duhallow.’ You might also have sung the local anthem beginning with the words “Ye maids of Duhallow…” inviting you “to proceed to Banteer etc.” In Duhallow you will now find the first ever Irish sculpture of St. Mary MacKillop, the first Australian-born person to be canonised and one of the three patron saints for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress.</p><p>Sarah Curran</p><p>In 1997 the Duhallow Women’s Forum was established under the auspices of IRD Duhallow which is a community based Rural Development Agency. The Women’s Forum consists of a network of sixteen women’s groups in the region who come together to “share information, exchange ideas and undertake joint projects.” One of their projects was the publication of the Mná Dhúthalla Calendar in 2004 with each month celebrating the life of a notable Duhallow female role model. The objective was to highlight the magnificent contribution various local women have made over the years. The women selected range from goddess to hopeless romantic and from care-givers to social leaders. Every year since 2004 the life of one of these women has inspired a conference or event marking their achievements and also their relevance to women and society in the twentieth century.</p><p>The Women’s Forum is now sponsoring monuments which celebrate the heritage and legacy of these women and which will inspire future generations of women. With support from LEADER (Rural Development Programme part-funded by the European Union), the following monuments have already been erected in the Duhallow area: Danu – ancient Celtic goddess of fertility, prosperity and comfort; the Venerable Edel Quinn – member of the Legion of Mary, Legion envoy in East and Central Africa; Sarah Curran – historical Irish romantic figure; Hannah Sheehy Skeffington – founder of the suffragette movement in Ireland; Alice Taylor – distinguished author. </p><p>To mark the canonisation of St. Mary MacKillop in October 2010 the Women’s Forum commissioned the grotto of St. Mary of the Cross. This grotto is a testament to St. Mary MacKillop of the Cross and to the 707 women from this region who joined her order and served immigrant Irish and other </p><p>1 displaced people in Australia and New Zealand. The life-sized bronze image of St. Mary MacKillop, set in a grotto-like enclosure, is rich in symbolism. It will serve as a sacred space inviting engagement and conversation. The park bench invites the visitor to sit and rest awhile. The young girl accompanying Mary MacKillop in the sculpture represents one of the 707 postulants educated in St. Joseph’s Convent, Newmarket between 1927 and 1973. The next person to be honoured with a monument will be Nora Herlihy, founder of the Irish League of Credit Unions.</p><p>Alice Taylor</p><p>On 5th November, 2010 the Kanturk Mercy Community was invited to a celebration in Newmarket marking the canonisation of St. Mary MacKillop. We joined the Sisters of St. Joseph, their families, friends and neighbours in the house that had been St. Joseph’s Juniorate Convent from 1927 to 1973. The house is now home to IRD Duhallow and its Women’s Forum hosted the celebration. Mass was celebrated in the Board Room which had been the Sisters’ Oratory and then we went outside for the official unveiling and blessing of the St. Mary MacKillop grotto. This was followed by refreshments and lively conversation that lasted long into the evening. Having been the closest convent to St. Joseph’s we fitted in very easily, chatting with the sisters and many past-pupils who had aunts, grand-aunts and cousins in the congregation. </p><p>Three parishioners from Mary MacKillop’s parish in Perth, West Australia, together with their priest, Fr. Jegorow, had travelled for the celebrations. The Mercy Sisters from Charleville were also among the guests. Since 1996 some Sisters of St. Joseph have returned to Ireland and they minister in Charleville and elsewhere. Charleville convent has its own direct link with Australia. On 31st October 1866, seven sisters from Charleville arrived in Bathurst NSW, the same year that the Sisters of St. Joseph were founded in Penola, South Australia!</p><p>2 St Mary MacKillop</p><p>Mercy E-News, No. 386 highlights the long association between the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Sisters of Mercy, not only in Australia but also in Ireland, reaching back to 1874 when Mary MacKillop visited Ireland and stayed in the Dungarvan, Cappoquin and Dublin Mercy convents. Fifteen young girls returned to Australia with her as a result of that visit. Between 1927 and 1973, 707 girls followed in their footsteps having completed three years preparation in the Newmarket Juniorate. What an amazing story!</p><p>The Sisters of St. Joseph have a special place in the history of Duhallow, not least because of the ‘big house’ they acquired in Newmarket. Originally called ‘Newmarket Court’ it was the home of the Aldworth family, the local landlords, for many years. In 1927 it became St. Joseph’s Convent. As well as educating the postulants the Sisters also provided music lessons and classes in secretarial skills for girls in the area. The Annual Garden Fête in the convent grounds was an important social event in Newmarket and gave people the opportunity to show their appreciation of the presence of the Sisters in their midst. That sense of appreciation is alive and well as was demonstrated on 5th November last by the present occupants of the ‘convent’ which is now the ‘James O’Keefe Institute’ and home to IRD Duhallow. </p><p>James O’Keefe (the late brother of Srs. Sheila and Kathleen O’Keeffe, RSM, Dublin) saw the potential of the house for the development of rural life in the area. In his capacity as Chairman of Bórd Bainne (Irish Milk Board) he was the driving force behind the Government’s decision to buy the convent as a Centre for Rural Development. The establishment of IRD Duhallow in the building has been, and continues to be of immense benefit to the area at all levels. It operates a sustainable rural development model which includes the development of the human, cultural, economic and environmental resources of the Duhallow region. The celebrations marking the canonisation of St. Mary MacKillop are proof of this. The IRD Duhallow Newsletter describes the event as follows:</p><p>3 James O'Keeffe Institute, Newmarket</p><p>“It was a momentous day for the Sisters of St. Joseph, their families, IRD Duhallow Women’s Forum and the people of Duhallow. The occasion provided the Sisters of St. Joseph with an opportunity to reflect on their time as postulants in Newmarket and it gave IRD Duhallow Women’s Forum and the people of Duhallow a chance to show their gratitude and respect for the Sisters who will forever hold a cherished place in the history of Duhallow. The St. Mary MacKillop grotto will now stand as an eternal testament to the great work of St. Mary MacKillop and the Sisters of St. Joseph in its fitting home in the grounds of the James O’Keefe Institute, Newmarket.” </p><p>Margaret Coffey, RSM & Ann Lenihan, RSM</p><p>4</p>