Honour for Laois ‘legend’ Mother Columba who got jobs for generations of Portlaoise women
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A determined Laois nun who tracked down jobs for hundreds and possibly thousands of young Portlaoise women in her teaching career, is to be honoured with a monument in the garden of her former convent.
The late Mother Columba was “a legend” as principal of the Presentation Convent in Portlaoise, making it her business to get the students into careers, giving them independence.
“She called us her girls. She did go around everywhere looking for jobs, the Post Office, the civil service. This was before people started going to third level,” recalled one of “her girls”, Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald.
Now 15 years after her death, Laois County Council is going to put a permanent memorial in her honour, in what was the ‘Nuns’ Garden’ of the stunningly repurposed Portlaoise Convent.
The convent and school have been turned into 52 social homes with community gardens, by Sophia Housing and Laois County Council. It is up for an ‘Ireland’s Favourite Building’ award based on public votes. It was officially opened in April.
Cllr Paddy Buggy has gained approval for his suggestion to plant an oak tree and a small monument, to formally honour Mother Columba, in the grounds of the Portlaoise Convent Project, in what was once the ‘Nuns’ Garden’.
He tabled a motion to the May meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District with the suggestion, seconded by Cllr Fitzgerald.
“She was a legend amongst women, in particular in Portlaoise. My own sister benefitted from her networking to get young people working. She transformed the convent into a secondary school. She lobbied the Department of Education. She was a formidable lady who never gave up. She was into networking, whether it was Aer Lingus, the ESB, banks, Telecom Éireann.
“If anyone decided to leave she had another young lady lined up. She gave young women a chance in a male dominated world. She really looked after ‘her girls’. I was approached to do something in her memory. The ‘nuns garden’ is now open to the public. It would be fabulous to have an oak tree as suggested by her past pupils, and a plaque,” he said.
The Portlaoise MD officials have agreed to the installation.
“She was brilliant, an absolute legend,” agreed Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley.
“The day of the opening of the convent housing was fantastic, a trip down memory lane. I suggest a plaque to commemorate all of the nuns in acknowledgement. I was talking to them about their facilities on the Mountrath Road, they are in envy at what they came back to see. This would never have happened if they didn’t hand over the site. They were the life and soul of our community,” she said.
Cllr Buggy suggests having two plaques, with Mother Columba’s beside her tree.