"Shortly before his death, Fr. Prendergast, P.P. Newport wished to have a convent in the town and invited the Sisters of Mercy at Castlebar to undertake the foundation. Negotiations were opened but no arrangement was agreed on to undertake the foundation and the project was then abandoned. " (Extract from the Annals of the Sisters of Mercy, Westport). Fr. Prendergast died in 1883 and was succeeded by his nephew - Rev. P. Greally P.P. Clifden. Fr. Greally greatly appreciated the work of the Sisters of Mercy, who first came to the Archdiocese of Tuam and to Westport on 9th September 1841. Rev. U. Paul Cullen, foundress and first superioress of the Westport Convent was held in high esteem by the new P.P. who approached U. Paul and requested her to open a branch house in Newport. He promised that he would give every assistance in his power, to this project. U. Paul gladly consented; permission from the Archbishop- Most Rev. Dr. McEvilly was secured and fund-raising got under way.

The Protestant landlord of the O'Donel estate - Sir George O'Donel donated "three acres of the best land on Barrack Hill, as a free-for-ever site" for the new foundation. His wife, Lady O'Donel, (a personal friend of U.Paul), was a Catholic, had a domestic chapel and the services of a chaplain - a Fr. McHale, nephew of the late Archbishop of Tuam, Most Rev. Dr. John McHale. Sir George and Lady O'Donel presented two stained glass windows for the Oratory of the new convent. (These windows were transferred to St. Patrick's Church in 1987 at the behest of the Sisters of Mercy after their departure to Castlebar St.)

When digging the foundation for the new convent in 1884, workmen unearthed many coins and buttons - the latter bearing the inscription of "Pratt". (This Mr. Pratt is likely to have been the former Treasury official who transferred the town from Burrishoole to Newport in the early years of 1700). Mr. Kavanagh of Westport was the builder of the convent. The Parish Priest acted as supervisor and by the summer of 1887 "a fine stone structure, comprising of convent and school crowned the hill overlooking the town" (Westport Annals)

July 2nd 1887, which was then kept as the Feast of the Visitation, was selected as the date for the

opening of the new convent. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the 6a.m. convent Mass in Westport was not celebrated. After hours of waiting, the founding sisters and three companions, all fasting, decided to set out for Newport. On the sisters' timely arrival at the gate of the new convent, they were given a rousing welcome by the waiting crowd. Among those present were Very Rev. Fr. Greally, P.P., Fr. Coen C.C. and Fr. B. McDermott, Adm. Kilmeena as well as leading residents of the town. This welcome was followed by the celebration of Mass in the sacristy of the new convent as the chapel was not quite ready. After Mass the sisters partook of a very belated breakfast !. The seven founding sisters - including U.Paul Cullen took up residence in their new abode and their three companions returned to Westport.

Newport's St. Joseph's Convent N.S. opened next day with an enrollment of 112 girls and 5 infant boys. By the last day of July 1887 the girls numbered 211 and the number of boys had risen to 34. By Whitsuntide there were over 100 infants (boys & girls) on roll and the numbers grew apace.

The people of Newport rejoiced to have nuns of their own and that bond between the people and the sisters strengthened down the years. Mr. Martin Carey and his wife Julia - wealthy Newport merchants - were among the early benefactors of the new project. They presented the sisters with a beautiful marble altar which is now in use in Lavally Catholic Church. The outdoor statues of Our Lady and St. Joseph which occupy separate niches on either side of the convent door, were also a gift of the Careys. The statue of St. Joseph still shows the two bullet holes sustained during the Civil War, when the convent was caught in the crossfire between the rival parties. The front porch - which was a later addition - was a gift of Mr. & Mrs. Dominick Kearns of Westport. Other monetary donations received were used to furnish the convent and school.

In 1894 a "Technical" School was established in the convent grounds for the training of local girls in a lace-making industry. As well as working in the "lace-room" building proper, the workers continued the undertaking in their own homes. The output was thus increased in shor order and soon became a valuable source of income to the workers. Orders came from the U.S.A. and the finished goods had to reach a high standard of skill and perfection. Even when the market eventually collapsed the skills remained and survive - albeit sparsely - to this present day.

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Sisters of Mercy Convent, Newport

In the days when second level education was the privilege of the favoured few, pupils in the Primary School were encouraged to remain on in higher grade classes where subjects such as Domestic Science, Elementary Science, Nature study as well as Shorthand and Typing were taught. When the Westport Sacred Heart Secondary School was opened, many pupils from Newport daily cycled the seven miles each way to and from Westport. There was no free transport at that time. Years later, in September of 1956 a co-ed second level school was opened in the old Presbyterian church building in Newport. The local Development Committee had approached Archbishop Walshe for his approval of such an undertaking. Permission was readily granted and the Archbishop requested the Sisters of Mercy to take charge of the new school. He also appointed a diocesan priest as teacher/chaplain in the said school. The latter flourished for thirteen years until amalgamation of schools and free transport to large central schools became the order of the educational day. This sounded the death knell for St. Mary's Secondary School. It's pupils were transported by bus to swell the ranks in the three post-primary schools in Westport, namely the Sacred Heart School, the C.B.S and the Vocational School. The doors of the old Presbyterian church were closed once more.

The late sixties and early seventies were traumatic years for the Sisters of Mercy in general and for Newport in particular. Plans were afoot to unite all the different communities of the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland into a single congregation. The first step was taken when Diocesan amalgamation took place. Rationalisation and closure of various houses of the Order ensued. The Mercy Sisters in Newport vacated the original convent on Barrack Hill on 2nd September 1977 and took up residence in a rented premises in Castlebar St. The following October saw the opening of Holy Family Central N.S. when the amalgamation of the Convent and Boys' Schools took place. Knockloughra N.S. joined the ranks shortly afterwards. At the moment there are just three Primary Schools in the parish - Holy Family Central, Cuilmore and Mulrany.

In the early seventies the Sisters of Mercy became involved in the local Youth Club. The advantages of becoming part of a National Youth Organisation became apparent and the Newport group joined Macra na Tuaithe - later known as Foróige. For over twenty years the Newport Foróige Club flourished and became the proud winners of three national and numerous regional awards. The Sisters wish the new club, it's members and leaders, every success in their present ventures.