In this section, the origins of Scoil Carmel are traced back to the middle of the Nineteenth Century. Our school grew from Mount St. Vincent, an imposing cut stone building in the neo-gothic style that still pays silent tribute to the fine craftsmanship of its builders. We are indebted to the Mercy Sisters who reside there and elsewhere, for compiling the following history of their congregation and of this area of Limerick.
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Catherine McAuley - a biographical sketch. | Catherine McAuley in Limerick. |
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A History of Mount Saint Vincent.
The roots of Scoil Carmel stretch back to the year 1850, when four sisters of Mercy came from St. Mary's (their mother convent in Limerick) to occupy a small house on Military Road, now O'Connell Avenue. The house was surrounded by green fields, one of which, over a century later, became the site for Scoil Carmel, while another provided a site for Scoil Mháthair Dé, the adjacent primary school, also under the trusteeship of the Mercy Sisters.
As
the original house proved too small and inconvenient for increasing numbers, in
1851 the building of the present Mount Convent began. It is a magnificent
four-story cut stone structure in the Pugin style. In 1852, the sisters and a
number of homeless children whom they cared for, moved into the new convent,
while the original house was rebuilt for the caretaker. The convent, which was
known as Mount Kenneth, from the elevated area where it was built, was later
renamed Mount Saint Vincent, after Vincent De Paul, a contemporary French Saint, renowned
for his work with the poor. The convent became known popularly as "The
Mount", a name which remains to this day.
The Chapel adjoining the convent, where the students of Scoil Carmel now
attend a special Mass before Exam time every year, was completed in 1863. In the
chapel is an Italian marble statue of the 'Madonna and Child' to which an
interesting story is attached. In 1865, during a visit to Rome by Bishop Butler,
then Bishop of Limerick, a bazaar was being held there to raise funds for Pope
Pius IX, who was in financial difficulty. After his return home, a ticket
circulated in the Limerick Diocese by the Bishop, won the bazaar prize. The
prize arrived from Rome, but the owner of the ticket could not be found. When
every effort to locate the owner had failed, Bishop Butler presented the prize,
a marble statue, to the Mount and there it is in the chapel ever since. It is to
be seen today at the left of the steps leading up to the altar. (See picture).
Soon after the building of the Mount Convent, a stone wall was built between the Convent grounds and the Military Road. One of the masons involved in the building of the wall was about to emigrate to Australia. As a token of his love for his native city, he inserted a small stone in the shape of a heart in the wall. This 'Heart Stone', now painted red by romantic teenagers, is still to be seen in place about 15 metres from the O'Connell Ave. entrance to Scoil Carmel.
A small school was opened by the Sisters of Mercy in 1850, expanded during the
following hundred years and became known as the 'Mount School'. In 1951, a
'Secondary-Top' (for Intermediate Certificate students only) was opened, with
Sister Dominica O'Shea as Principal. The school building was known as St.
Vincent's Hall and had an interesting history of its own. St. Vincent's Hall was
the former 'Iron House' (see photo) brought from England in 1898 and placed in the Convent
Garden to provide extra space for the Mercy novices. This building was given
over by the Mount community as accommodation for the school.
In 1952, the Secondary Top was recognised as a Secondary School (catering for
Leaving Cert. students) by the Department of Education. Sister Nora Wall was appointed
as its first Principal. Sr. Dominica became Principal of the Mercy Secondary
School in Newcastle West, County Limerick. Sr. Nora's compact staff included
Sisters Colmcille Cunnane, Kathleen Hayes, Maura Burke and Miss Hickey. As
enrolment increased, two extra rooms were added to the original 'Iron House' and
a new heating system was installed. Sister Josepha O'Shea was appointed
principal in 1958, when Sr. Nora became principal of Stella Maris School, Mount
Trenchard, Foynes, Co. Limerick.
In the 1960s, the building of a new school to replace the old St. Vincent's hall was sanctioned by the Department of Education. This new school, Scoil Carmel, was officially opened in 1969. This, the first building phase of the present school, did not have an administration block, so two classrooms, Nos. 1 and 2 on the ground floor were retained for administrative use. Sr. Josepha used Room 1 as an office and Room 2 was the staff room.
As the school grew rapidly in the early 1970s, further expansion was inevitable. A separate administration block was added in 1975, with several offices, a staff room and a general purpose Hall.
As the 1980s came, with continuing growth in the student population, a third major expansion was necessary. The school authorities initiated a fundraising campaign in 1983, which continued unabated throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. Finally, after much work and many difficulties, the Department of Education once again gave permission to proceed with the building of the following amenities: two permanent classrooms, lecture theatre, art room, kitchen, science laboratory, a covered Atrium and the gymnasium. In 1997, the Music Room was created, and in 1999, the new Computer Room was set up, with modern equipment.
Scoil Carmel continues to be a popular choice for the education of young girls in Limerick, so pressure on space continues as before. The school authorities continue to monitor the situation and when needed, will set plans in motion to expand further and continue to give the best educational environment possible to the young people who choose to come here to learn.
