1829 - 1899

Margaret Anna Cusack was born on this site on May 6th 1829. At the time York Street was a centre of medicine. She was the daughter of Sara and Dr. Samuel Cusack. Her uncle was the interationally renowned surgeon James William Cusack, 3-times President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

She became an Anglican Sister but in 1861 converted to Catholicism and moved to Kenmare in County Kerry. Here, under the pseudonym of the "Nun of Kenmare", she wrote on all aspects of Irish life including social reform, education, history, poetry, botany, music, ecumenism and politics.

She was one of the most extraordinary and creative personalities of 19th century Ireland. She supported Parnell and the Land League and founded the 1879 Famine Relief Fund. She held many radical views on the role of women in society believing education to be a liberator. These were controversial views for the time and it is not surprising that she fell out of favour with some of her superiors.

In 1881 she founded her own religious order - the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, who are still active today. She went to America and helped many young Irish emigrants. She remained there for four years and then due to ill health returned to England where she died at Leamington Spa in 1899.

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