The 26th April 2025 marks the 241st Anniversary of Honora ‘Nano’ Nagle, the Foundress of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (during her time, the Order was called the ‘Society of Charitable Instruction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus’), who passed away following an illness in Cork in 1784. To commemorate this anniversary, we are sharing the entry of her death, recorded in the South Pres Annals from the Presentation Sisters Congregational Archives.
“Being fortified by the last sacraments, which she received with the tenderest of compunction, she fixed her heart on heaven, where alone her treasure was, and thus did she await with steady fortitude, the expected signal of her departure.
Her afflicted little Community assembled around her, learning from her how to die, as they had learned from her example how they should live. They united their sighs with hers, prayed for her victory in this last conflict, and recommended with grateful tears, her precious soul to God. They then implored her blessing and last advice. She gave it to them, “Love one another”, said she, “as you have hitherto done”.
It was a heavenly sentence! One worthy the life it concluded. She then gave up her charge of Superioress into the hands of Sister Angela Collins, recommending her to be vigilant, to be kind to those whom she committed to her care; and by her efforts to ensure, as much as possible, a continuation of the good work which she had only begun, and the progress of which, she was not worthy to see.
Shortly after, this great and extraordinary servant of God breathed her last, giving up her pure soul into the hands of Him, for whom she always laboured, and whom she always loved.
One of Mother Nagle’s great admirers gives her character in the following words, with that justice, energy, and solidity of expression, which distinguishes his [stile].
“Miss Nagle”, says he, “was a person gifted with a mind, which appeared almost divinely inspired to foresee and to remove every obstacle to a great work – a mind, beneficent by nature – gentle, from habit – generous, from disposition – and exemplary, from the workings of divine grace. A mind, in fine, formed at the school of the Cross – and there convinced by Jesus Christ, who is meek and humble by heart, that his yoke is sweet and his burden light: and those who hope in Him, shall not be confounded.
“Her manners gained and engaged the heart – her authority commanded respect without seeking its rights – her piety showed good example, while it strove to hide itself. Her prudence excluded every excess – no labour could abate or relap [?] her zeal, nor could any difficulty shake her resolution. She was ever, equally submissive; and willing to receive, as to communicate advice or instruction”.
A woman, of whom the pen of Truth could hand down such a character, and whose own works bear the strongest of all testimonies in her favour, met, as may be supposed, the hour of her dissolution with the peace and delight of the Lord.”
Requiescat in Pace. Amen!
April 30th 1784:
“Mother Nagle’s remains were interred in the Cemetery belonging to the Ursulines, and enclosed in the large Tomb which stands in its centre. Her own most [illegible] wish was that she should be buried with her own Sisters and children in Religion, “the numbers of her Congregation”; but, she consented to be laid in the Ursuline’s Churchyard, on condition that these should also be buried there. This condition was agreed on – whence the Ursuline and Presentation Nuns had, for many years, a common burial ground”.
https://www.instagram.com/presentationsistersarchives
Katie Connick
Assistant Archivist
Presentation Sisters Congregational Archives
Discover the hidden gem of Cork at Nano Nagle Place, a vibrant heritage site that offers a unique glimpse into Irish history and culture. Nestled in the heart of Cork City, the beautifully restored complex features a museum dedicated to the inspiring legacy of Nano Nagle, a social justice pioneer and top tourist destination in Cork. Visitors can explore historic buildings, tranquil walled gardens, and a charming design shop filled with local crafts. Whether you’re looking for educational tours, a peaceful retreat, or a taste of Cork’s rich heritage, Nano Nagle Place provides an unforgettable experience for all ages. Don’t miss this top Cork attraction and delve into the city’s fascinating past while enjoying a modern cultural oasis.
At Cork Migrant Centre, Nano Nagle Place, we offer free English classes that empower migrants to build language skills, confidence, and community. Leonid Dobrianskyi’s personal story is a powerful example of how far learners can go with determination and support. After dedicating years to learning English, Leonid is now able to share his journey and a special story with us, and we are deeply grateful for his openness. Special thanks to our Cork ETB funded English teacher, Fabrice, whose guidance has played a pivotal role in helping Leonid and many others achieve their goals.
Of dreams and reality by Leonid Dobrianskyi
More than two years have passed since I have been learning English at the Migrant Centre at Nano Nagle Place in Cork. It is an old Catholic convent, which is more than 250 years old. I’m now close to making my old dream come true – to speak English fluently. I had done four previous courses in the past at home in Ukraine but every time I had struggled due to lack of speaking practice. Our English tutor Fabrice Fortune teaches us English, as well as singing in English which helps us improve our pronunciation and immerse ourselves in the new cultural environment of Cork. But now, I would like to tell you a story about another dream of mine, which also came true here at Nano Nagle Place.
Family story
My grandfather Petro Potapenko was born in the village of Voloske in the region of Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine. The village lies 20 km south of the large city of Dnipro. My grandfather was enlisted in the army and took part in many battles of WWI. He was enrolled in the Russian Empire’s Expedition Corpus which travelled around the world before it arrived in Marseilles. He and other Ukrainian soldiers fought together with their French counterparts against the German army. One of them was his childhood friend Stephan Morar. The journey took them inland from their native village of Voloske through the cities of Dnipro, Moscow, Irkutsk (Military training camp) and Port Arthur. Then, there was the sea route: Port Arthur, the Yellow sea, Singapore, Colombo, Mumbai, the Red Sea, Port Said and finally Marseilles. A lot of Ukrainians from Voloske and other places in Ukraine were involved in that military expedition. My grandfather was wounded in the leg during the ferocious battle of the Somme in 1916 in France, and spent a lot of time in hospital recovering from his injuries in Paris and Montpellier. After a long convalescence, he finally came home to Voloske in March 1917. At the same time his friend Stephan Morar remained in France. Needless to say, these events had a huge impact on my grandfather as he was only 20 years old. Much later he used to tell us, his grandchildren, a lot about his youth, about his trip to France, the War and other thrilling stories. This equally left a huge impression on us.
The book
When I became a student I was interested in the history of my family. I wrote down a few stories that I had heard from my grandfather Petro, my grandmother Vekla and other relatives. Some of them wrote their memoirs themselves. I collected all of this material together and published a book entitled “I hear your voice” in 2008 with famous Ukrainian historians Jury Mytsyk and Mykola Chaban who co-authored the book. Both of them were also born in the village. However, many details about my grandfather’s trip to France were still unknown to me. l was especially curious about the destiny of a friend of his called Stephan Morar who had remained in France after the war. My grandfather had died many years ago, but this side of his life, as a part of our family story, still hadn’t revealed itself.
The war
The years have passed. I’m retired and became a grandfather myself. Ukraine was more than thirty years independent but unfortunately war began again. The Russian army invaded and occupied our lands and cities. Mass killings of civilians began. Missile bombardments were carried out on all cities of Ukraine. I had to leave my home and moved with my wife Olga and my daughter Nadia to Ireland. We ended up living in Cork City. After five months, my wife died unexpectedly. Our daughter Nadia did her Phd in history and I began to attend English classes in Nano Nagle Place and started to write a book about Ukrainian refugees in Cork.
Two attempts
There were a lot of different activities I was involved in – besides the diligent study of English, I took part in long distance running with Sanctuary Runners, I sang in the Ukrainian Choir Kalyna and recorded the stories of Ukrainian refugees in order to publish a book. All these things helped me to overcome the stress of losing Olga. Slowly, day by day, l returned to collecting materials about the history of my family and I went back to the story of my grandfather and his friend Stephan. I had in my possession an envelope with Stephan’s French address on it. I wrote my first letter in English and sent it to Paris at that address. There was no answer. After that, I had to carefully plan what I would do next. I started a correspondence with Stephan Morar’s relatives, Inna Morar and Volodymyr Morar, who were living in Dnipro. They managed to find in the archive papers of their family a new address in France where Stephen Morar’s family lived. I proceeded to write another letter in English and my English teacher Fabrice, who happens to be a Frenchman, translated it into French. I posted the letter from the General Post Office in Cork with great anticipation.
Godsend
After a month and a half, I received an email from Oliver Morar, Stephen Morar’s grandson, which I eagerly opened. Oliver is 61 years old and has been living in Portugal, meaning that his visits to France are quite rare. He was thrilled to receive my letter and to my great surprise, even offered me excerpts of a book that his mother Maria had written about her father Stephan Morar: it told his story as a soldier in the First World War, his friendship with my grandfather and his life in France. The name of the book in French was “De Ekaterynoslav à Deuil-La-Barre” (From Ekaterynoslav to Deuil-La-Barre), Ekaterynoslav being the old name of modern Dnipro. There were a lot of details about the life of Stephan up to 1930, his long trip from Ukraine to France and a soldier’s life in the trenches. When I first began this venture, I had never imagined this could have happened: not only had I found my grandfather’s friend’s family but also a book which had been written by Stephan Morar’s daughter.
Happy ending
Afterwards we exchanged emails and had a chat by phone and yes, we spoke in English. We decided to meet and to exchange books about our grandfathers, Stephan and Petro. At the end of my story l would like to add something which is of huge importance to me. I spent a lot of time here at the Cork Migrant Centre in Nano Nagle Place learning English. I visited the Nano Nagle museum many times and listened to the lectures about her as a prominent personality in the education of vulnerable people and founder of the convent. It is no coincidence that my dreams came true here: I’m sure that it is connected with the extraordinary properties of that woman and this place where she lived and did good deeds.
Discover the hidden gem of Cork at Nano Nagle Place, a vibrant heritage site that offers a unique glimpse into Irish history and culture. Nestled in the heart of Cork City, the beautifully restored complex features a museum dedicated to the inspiring legacy of Nano Nagle, a social justice pioneer and top tourist destination in Cork. Visitors can explore historic buildings, tranquil walled gardens, and a charming design shop filled with local crafts. Whether you’re looking for educational tours, a peaceful retreat, or a taste of Cork’s rich heritage, Nano Nagle Place provides an unforgettable experience for all ages. Don’t miss this top Cork attraction and delve into the city’s fascinating past while enjoying a modern cultural oasis.
The 14th March 2025 marks the 221st Anniversary of Mother Angela Collins (Mary Ann), one of the four foundresses of the Presentation Order, who passed away on the evening of the 14th in South Presentation Covent, Cork City in 1804. To commemorate this anniversary, we are sharing the entry of her death, recorded in the South Pres Annals from the Presentation Sisters Congregational Archives.
“On the 14th of this month (March) it has pleased Almighty God to withdraw to a better life, and from the companionship of this Community which loved and revered her, our oldest member, Mother Angela Collins, who expired about seven o’clock in the evening: rather unexpectedly, after enduring with the most singular and edifying patience, some years of the most trying delicacy: during which period, no complaint, no murmur, no manifestation of dislike to the wearisome life she was leading, ever escaped from her lips, or, appeared by her manner to those whose delightful duty it was to attend her.
Water on the chest put an end, at length, but, too soon for us, her cherished existence. Having dined, she lay, as she was sometimes obliged to do, on her bed. For some time, she continued to converse familiarly with two of the Sisters, regarding affairs which involved the welfare of the Community, whose interests were always dear to her pure heart: and, in the midst of their discussion, to their great dismay, they observed she was expiring.
She quietly yielded up her soul in their presence, without their having the time of the consolation of procuring her the least spiritual resistance. But, they had the comfort of knowing, that for her, the great work of sanctification had been already wrought – that she had, long before her hour was come, laid up for herself a treasure which neither “moth nor rust can consume” […].
Mother Angela Collins […] was the first whom God called to assist out Foundress in the laborious functions of teaching the poor of Cork – and generously and well did she work her way, by following the bright example which God had placed before her. She received the holy Habit of religion, and pronounced her Simple Vows, on the same day with Mother Nagle – a privilege, which she never could think on, without pleasure, and perhaps some, not unlawful, pride.
She had the sad consolation of witnessing the last moments of our Sainted Foundress, whom she affectionately watched over, and attended, during the protracted delicacy of her emaciated frame: she received her last sigh, her last blessing, and listened to her last words […]. At this awful, and most trying moment of her whole existence, she was charged, by her dying Mother, with the care of her Infant association, and of her poor afflicted Children who then composed it. And this burden of Superiority, did she meekly, and maternally, and piously bear […]. In the Offices of Superioress and Mistress of Novices, all the duties of which she fulfilled with unparalleled zeal and exactitude for 20 years, she was the comfort of those whom she governed: and an example of influences so irresistible, as to defy any sort of disregard to its perfect imitation, on the part of those, by whom she was surrounded.
At last, the bright lamps of her existence, by the light of which, we so long and so securely trod the darksome dangerous paths of this world’s pilgrimage, is extinguished for us, for ever. She has left us in our bereavement, without consolation, save, the one sweet, cheering hope, that the Mother whom we fondly respected, and who ever loved us so well, has passed from this transitory scene but to enter into the bosom of her God – to the enjoyment of her well beloved Spouse.
Requiescat in Pace. Amen.”
https://www.instagram.com/presentationsistersarchives
Katie Connick
Assistant Archivist
Presentation Sisters Congregational Archives
Discover the hidden gem of Cork at Nano Nagle Place, a vibrant heritage site that offers a unique glimpse into Irish history and culture. Nestled in the heart of Cork City, the beautifully restored complex features a museum dedicated to the inspiring legacy of Nano Nagle, a social justice pioneer and top tourist destination in Cork. Visitors can explore historic buildings, tranquil walled gardens, and a charming design shop filled with local crafts. Whether you’re looking for educational tours, a peaceful retreat, or a taste of Cork’s rich heritage, Nano Nagle Place provides an unforgettable experience for all ages. Don’t miss this top Cork attraction and delve into the city’s fascinating past while enjoying a modern cultural oasis.