Nano Nagle exhibit details lives of Ireland’s Presentation Sisters

A NEW exhibition detailing the lives of Presentation Sisters across Ireland has been launched at Nano Nagle Place.

The temporary exhibition, Branching Out: Presentation Convents 1775-1828 details the early years of the Presentation Order across Ireland.

Between 1775 and 1828 the order set up 22 convents in 13 counties across Ireland, educating thousands of poor children in the attached schools.

Nano Nagle Place’s annual exhibition looks at the foundation stories of these convents along with the lives of the women who lived in these spaces.

John Smith, CEO of Nano Nagle Place said: “This exhibition addresses a significant moment in Irish history, and in the early evolution and growth of the Presentation Order across Ireland. As always, we welcome all visitors to Nano Nagle Place. 

"We hope that many people will experience the exhibition first-hand in our wonderful Goldie Chapel. 

"For those who don’t get the opportunity to see the exhibition in-person, we are very excited to be able to offer a digital and immersive experience of the exhibition through our website, www.branchingout.ie. Our hope is that all who engage with the stories, photos, videos, and audio on offer, leave with an enriched understanding of the Presentation Order, and those early years of growth throughout Ireland.”

Presentation Sisters in their distinctive black habits used to be a familiar sight across the country, as were their homes. While some of these convents remain open, many have closed, and the buildings demolished or repurposed.

As people make their way through the exhibition website they will find digitised documents, photographs, films, artefacts, and oral histories which will introduce visitors to the early years of the Presentation Order in Ireland.

Branching Out: Presentation Convents 1775-1828, is now on display in Nano Nagle Place’s award-winning museum until April 2024.

The online exhibition can be viewed at www.branchingout.ie.