The convent of the Poor Clare nuns in Carlow town, Ireland is located in Graiguecullen. The convent was established over 100 years ago. There are six other Poor Clare convents in Ireland and the order has convents in over 75 other countries throughout the world.
The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare, is a Roman Catholic contemplative order of nuns. The order was founded by Chiara Offreduccio, St Clare of Assisi, on Palm Sunday 1212. She was eighteen years old at the time and had been inspired by the preaching of St Francis of Assisi. The Order spread rapidly and today, over 800 years later, there are over 20,000 Poor Clare nuns
A convent had been established in Levenshulme, Manchester, England in 1871 by a group of eight Belgian Poor Clare Sisters. In 1893 a group of five Poor Clare sisters led by Mother Mary Seraphine Bowe, who was a native of Kilkenny, came to Carlow from the convent in Levenshulme. They established a convent in a rented house. The house was located on the bridge over the river Barrow in Carlow town.
The present Poor Clare convent was built on a nearby site donated by the Governey family in 1900. The convent is located beside St Clare’s Church, the parish church of Graigueullen. St Clare’s church was originally St Anne’s Church of Ireland. St Annes, which was located on the Athy road in Carlow town, was sold to the parish of Graiguecullen for a nominal sum in 1926. The church was then dismantled and re-erected in Graiguecullen on the West bank of the river Barrow.
The Poor Clare order of nuns established a convent in Graiguecullen, Carlow, Ireland in the year 1893 On This Day.
Plaque on house on Graiguecullen Bridge, Carlow
monastery of the poor clares by Pilgrim Fatima on 2010-06-16 12:14:10
I am Collette Clare Curtis my maiden name Robinson .after my mother Nellie Robinson had difficult time having me on 9.3.1942 I was taken down to the chaple to be christen that night . I live in England Waltham Abbey Essex .