Sr Grace celebrates her centenary

ON January 12, Ruan woman Sister Grace O’Brien marked her 100th birthday. Evidence of Sister Grace having reached a century is plastered all over her room in the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley House in Limerick. The room is filled with birthday cards from all corners of the country.
Although born Margaret Grace O’Brien on January 12, 1912, in Thornville House, which has a Corofin postal address, Sister Grace insists she is definitely from Ruan.
She was the fifth of nine children born to Daniel and Elizabeth O’Brien. Three of her sisters also joined the nuns; Sister Ambrose, Sister Stanislaus and Sister Ignatius, who was a Poor Clare sister. Her other sisters, Jenny McMahon and Dorothy Shields both married, while Sister Grace had two brothers, Joseph and Donal. Another sister, Maureen, died aged 16. Sister Grace is the only surviving member of her family.
Grace attended Kells primary school in Corofin and secondary school at Brigidine Convent in Mountrath, Laois.
Aged 22, Grace entered the Mercy Convent, Templemore in 1934 and made her first profession in 1937. She was finally professed in 1940 and was known as Sister Joseph until 1973.
Having trained as a primary school teacher in Carysfort College, Dublin, Sister Grace spent many years in Templemore, bar one when she was in Borrisoleigh.
Sister Grace, along with the late Sister Carmel Moylan, established what was called Secondary Top (seventh class) in 1943. She taught all subjects through Irish for a number of years. However, Sister Grace returned to teach in St Joseph’s primary school in Templemore, until her retirement in 1977.
On retiring, Sister Grace devoted her time to visiting the sick. She has visited and prayed with many families and was particularly helpful during times of illness and bereavement.
Sister Grace was a lifetime pioneer and led the annual pioneer pilgrimage to Knock. She was talented artistically and concentrated on calligraphy, painting in oil and water colours.
Following her 90th birthday, Sister Grace suffered a stroke and after some time in Nenagh and at the Hospital of the Assumption in Thurles, Sister Grace was transferred to McAuley House, Limerick in 2002.
Her friends at McAuley House say Sister Grace’s favourite saying is “Smile, God loves you”.
Her original home, Thornville House, has an interesting history. The land on which Thornville House is situated was reputedly bought from the Marquess of Thomond by Patrick and Daniel O’Brien in the second half of the 19th century. They paid £3,500 for the freehold. The brothers had a legal agreement that neither would interfere with the other’s half of the property.