Over the 18th to 20th of June, a group of nine keen Archivists and interested Sisters met at Mercy International Centre in Baggot Street for our annual Institute/Union/Federation and Ireland (IFUI) Mercy Archives meeting. The location, in and around Venerable Catherine McAuley’s first House of Mercy, was very apt for thinking about preserving and making available Mercy Heritage now and into the future. As lone Archivists, it is beneficial for us to gather together and understand what we are all working on, share challenges and discuss opportunities to work together and link up Mercy heritage where possible.
As well as a successful meeting, we attended a tour of the Henrietta Street Tenement Museum in Dublin’s north side. This was a chance to understand the poverty and conditions present in 19th century Dublin when the Sisters of Mercy were in the early years of developing the Institute. An interesting, enlightening and humbling experience for us, brought to life by a real Dubliner.
We also enjoyed a wonderful guided tour of Baggot Street Convent with Sister Margaret. She brought Catherine McAuley and her story to life, as well as highlighting some of the other Mercy women in Catherine’s story such as Sisters Clare Moore and Mary Ann Doyle. The icing on the cake was having access to the recently refurbished Heritage Centre in MIA, Baggot Street. This has been very professionally accomplished and uses original archives and artefacts to bring visitors closer to Catherine and her ‘Mission of Mercy’.
What a special time and place!
Jenny Smith
Archivist, Union of the Sisters of Mercy of Great Britain.
June 2024.
