Our Story

Listen to our Introduction (requires Flash player)

We are the Sisters of Mercy of the Northern Province of Ireland. We have 570 Sisters living and working in 165 locations, within an area which covers the six counties of Northern Ireland (Tyrone, Derry, Antrim, Down, Armagh and Fermanagh); eight counties in the Republic of Ireland (Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Louth, Offaly, Meath and Westmeath); Yola and Minna in Nigeria; and Mazabuka, Lusaka and Kaleya in Zambia.

Our Provincial Team consists of six members -

Front L to R: Srs. Joan Dunne, Winifred Lynott, Anne Lyng,
Back L to R: Srs. Rose Marie Conlon, Nellie McLaughlin (Provincial Leader), Eleanor Murphy

Our History

IRELAND

The invitation to establish the first Convent of Mercy outside Dublin came from the town of Tullamore, King's County, in the Diocese of Meath. Sr Mary Ann Doyle, companion of Mother Catherine McAuley, and a novice, Sr Teresa Purcell, made that first foundation in 1836.

There were two further foundations from Baggot Street to areas within today's "Northern Province" - Dundalk in 1847 and Belfast in 1854. Two similar foundations from Tullamore were Kells in 1844 and Derry in 1848. Other Convents founded within the Northern Province's geographical area owe their beginnings to Mercy convents in other parts of the country. This you will see in the Development of Foundations diagrams .

CAPTION: (Convent of Mercy, Tullamore)

From the beginning, Catherine's vision was that newly established convents would be autonomous so as to respond more easily to the needs of the particular area. During the latter quarter of the last century, convents began to form Diocesan Unions in the interest of better collaboration. It is within the framework of these Dioceses that we now look at the origins and growth of the Sisters of Mercy in the Northern Province.

CAPTION: (Convent of Mercy, Pump Street, Derry)

SISTERS OF MERCY IN NIGERIA
In 1969 four Sisters from Dungarvan in the Southern Province went to Yola in Nigeria; three Sisters from Strabane went to Minna; and five Sisters from the Armagh Diocese founded a Mission in Lagos. The three groups eventually decided to join as one unit and in 1994 they voted to join the Northern Province. Pioneering women have left a rich legacy and today Sisters continue this Mission.
View the Tree Diagram depicting the development of the Nigerian Mission.

SISTERS OF MERCY IN ZAMBIA
In September 1971 three Sisters from the Navan community went to Monze, Zambia, and worked with other religious congregations until 1979. Following Mercy Union in the Meath Diocese in 1975 a decision was taken to mission four more Sisters to Zambia and the first Mercy Mission began in 1979 in Monze. Further Missions were opened over time.
View the Tree Diagram depicting the development of the Zambian Mission.

Location Map - the geographical spread of Sisters within the Northern Province