Orphanage?

[amanda t]

Do you know any convents or orphanages in Northern Ireland called Castle Carey or Castle Kerragh (these are phonetically spelt)? I think it might be in either County Tyrone or Antrim.

My grandmother was sent there from County Durham to distant relatives who were nuns when her parents died between 1900 and 1915. She was born Mary Ann McGill in 1896, and must have attended a school in Ireland. I wonder if there are any school lists? 

Amanda

[Christopher]

Hiya Amanda,

It may take me a few days to reply to your query. I've just started to find Belfast convents but have a feeling I'll be expected to compile lists of convents for other places throughout Ireland too. It looks as though I'll have to head to the Public Records Office in Belfast next week to see what they have on the subject.

Christopher

[amanda t]

That sounds quite a task 
I'm away next week but will have something to look forward to when I return. 

Thank you
Amanda

[amanda t]

Hi Christopher
I have found a reference to a school called Castlecary in Ballyrattan Donegal which hopefully will be confirmed at my visit to the LDS next week. For now I'll be following leads to Donegal, however if you do come across anything in Antrim I would be interested; must keep my mind open to any possibility!
Amanda

[TonyR]

Hi Christopher, your post raised an old query that I have - maybe you or another rootschatter may know the answer.

Family story is that around 1924 Granny & 4 young children moved from Barrow-in-Furness to Belfast after husband disappeared!?  They lived around the Falls Road area, above an Italian ice-cream shop, before Granny was taken ill.  With no-one to look after her, she & the children were 'admitted' to a convent for care and while there the nuns persuaded her to convert herself & the children to RC.

Questions raised by this story are: 1) Did convents accept families in this way, or is it more likely that the nuns were also nurses in a local hospital?

2) Was it normal practice for nuns, while caring for people, to try and convert them?

3) Are there likely to be any surviving convent / hospital records to verify this story?  Any ideas / answers welcomed.  Regards, TonyR.

[aghadowey]

Not sure about the nuns, maybe someone else will know for sure, but sounds more like the workhouse which would have admitted families.