Sent to a convent in Monaghan, why?

[Neli]

Also posted in the Monaghan forum:
A bit complicated this one, I am struggling to get any family help because I get the impression the facts have been rather 'swept under the carpet' over the years. So much so, that even those who remember the events only remember a very vague picture, not I think, because they are hiding the truth but, rather because it has been all they themselves have ever known.
My Grandmother Mary Ann Donohoe (1911-1969) was the daughter Bernard Donohoe 1873-?) and Kate Gorman (1876-1912). Mary Ann's mother, Kate died when she was very young. I can't discover what happened to Bernard after this but, I believe an aunt of Mary Ann's came back from America to look after her however, 12 years later the house where they lived burnt to the ground and the Aunt was tragically killed. At this point Mary Ann was sent to St Louis Convent in Monaghan to be brought up by the Nuns.
If anybody reads or replys to this message I know you will be asking which Aunt? When did she go to or come back from America, I don't know!!!!!
That is where the vagueness kicks in :-(
Also, although it would be frowned upon maybe today, it was certainly common enough practice then for the family of such children to step in and take over the upbringing of an orphan and I am also puzzled to know why this did not happen in my Grandmothers case. I have never been forward enough to confront my elderly Irish relatives with this question but, on skirting around it, I am met with the wall of vagueness.
As far as I can find Mary Ann had a maternal Aunt who was her Mothers twin sister,she married somebody Lynch of Kilcogy and lived until she was 95. She also had 2 maternal Uncles, Patrick and Terrence who I do not know much about as yet.
On her Paternal side she had a further 2 Aunts, Ann and Mary and an Uncle John.
What I am most interested to know is, what would the Convent in Monaghan have been like for her as an orphan who lived and was brought up there and why was she sent there.
I also have about a million other questions about this whole area of vague family history and would be delighted if anyone could help even a little.

[Neli]

Should probably have mentioned these events took place in and around the Kilcogy/Granard area of Cavan

[aghadowey]

Link to duplicate post on MONAGHAN board:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=670872.0;topicseen

[gnagflow]

Perhaps the convent you mentioned may be able to help with information about who sent your grandmother there. As the event is not that long ago, records of students may be still held there.
That would be a starting point.
Good luck,
Margie

[healyjfch]

I suggest you look for local newspaper around the time of house fire.
Very likely to be reported on because a person died. The Aunts name may give more clues as to how they were related. She may have been an aunt by marriage
When you get her full name you may be able to get death certificate.
Was the fire accidental or malicious ?

If malicious there may have been a court case, that you could follow up.

[Neli]

Hi LH, thanks for your reply.
I have got to the bottom of a lot of it now, my  Grandmas family were reasonably well off and a few members of the family became priests. One of these priests took responsibility for my G after the fire and she was sent to Monaghan by him using her 'Fortune' to pay for her education with the view that she would be trained as a Nun and a teacher. She subsequently became a Nun and may have been a teacher (not sure about that bit) but realised it wasn't the life for her. She was given dispensation from the Pope and now having no money as it was all given away to the Convent by her cousin, the priest, she went to him for help. He turned her away so she went to Dublin, got a job, later met my Grandad and married.

[Neli]

Thanks Margie, I did try that route but without much success, nothing I can find online and I'm not in a position to go there in person at the moment, maybe in the future