APH1 June 19th, 1907. “Retirement of Teachers, way open for Sisters
It is now as far as I can see certain that Mrs. Dolan and her daughter will retire from the Athenry school at the end of the year, and I am to let the Archbishop know this during the Retreat. will you please let me know could ye send a few nuns here. I wish to assure you candidly that none would be more welcome. One reason why I am so anxious to have a community settled down here as recognised teachers, is that I am afraid there is no doubt but the appointment of Teachers will be taken out of our hands and Country District Councillors would vote for appointing a friend’s child in preference to a Community” –
II October 19th, 1907: “With a view to the aesthetic
Thanks be to God, to His grace and to the Presentation Community, – they are the givers. I and the Parish of Athenry are the receivers – I will give your plan of the school to John Broderick tomorrow to develop and to draw up specifications according to Board’s requirements and his estimate and I will put the Monahans at my new residence. I will have it built as far away from the Convent – as we may call it now – as can practically be done with a view to the aesthetic. It is a great relief now thank God that the matter ‘s on a firm basis and that we can set to work at once. I suppose ye can come up now as often as ye please to see how the works are preparing.
III October 28th, 1907. Cheque from the Bishop.
“I can be stiff now I have the money and ye can do as you please. I received today from His Grace, cheque £354 70. 5d. which I am forwarding by the post to the commissioners of Works. So the Parochial House is free.
IV August 15th 1907: The Price for which I could make a schoolhouse
“The price for which I could make a school-bouse similar to drawing 1s £570 0s. 0d. T. Monahan.August 28tb, 1907. Estimated cost of School for 200.
“If both partitions were to be of stone with chimneys the estimated cost of a school such as we contemplate would be £690. I think we shouldn’t build a smaller school for I see in the Annual Report of the Commissioners to the Treasury that they recommend 10 sq. ft. for each pupil, instead of 9′ which is the present space.
VI Updated Building Costs 1907
Stones are 2/10d. per cart left on site.
Sand 1/8 or 1/6. Per cart left on site
Labour is dear here since the strike.
2/6 per day to Labourers, now 3/- in Spring, but things may come down a little.
December 10th 1907 Re. Furnishing of Convent
The first convoy of ammunitions and stones arrived today – two cases of hardware, apparently, and five bed steads and springs. They are safely stored in the Convent.
December 18th Cleaning of School – Preparation
I went down to the School today to see how it looked. I shall tomorrow get a man to dry brush down the interior walls and clean and mop the floor. It would scarcely repay the expense to either paint or whitewash it in this damp season, but we shall do our best to have it clean and the windows brightened, a river runs in front of the school.
Canon Canton’s evacuation of his house for the Sisters.
Nearly all the furniture we are bringing to our Town Residence is changed down now. Your Community Room is now bare enough for a Poor Clare.
January 5th, 1908 Nuns Came to Athenry Jan 2nd 1908
I saw our Community this evening after dinner and I find they are taking wonderfully well to public life, they were able to say their prayers fairly well in the Church today and got in and out of “Choir” without stumbling or knocking down seats. They would feel lonely if they didn’t bear the continuous puffing of engines.
February 3rd 1908 Donation towards foundation of Convent
The enclosed sum of £50 for the benefit of the new foundation – the gift of Fr Reddington-Roche whose late father Mr Roche Ryehill was much interested in the foundation of a convent in your parish
April 11th 1913 Receipt for the amount of the contract for extension to Convent:
I do not believe that I ever expended money more cheerfully. The excellent work you are doing and the sacrifice made by the Community in sending the Foundation in the circumstances deserve whatever help I can be able to give. – I assure you I am a debtor to those who have come and to those who sent them.
April 11th, 1913 Psalm 132/133 in practice
We have been, thank God, like brother and sisters and shall continue so
Undated Letter You shall neither be shot nor boycotted!
“Don’t be uneasy, you shall neither be shot nor boycotted. You don’t come into the ban which is only against Landlords who will not sell, and big grazing farmers who don’t wish to give them up for distribution among tenants.wards foundation of Convent.
