My Edmund Rice Pilgrimage - Karen Jones shares memories of a recent trip to Ireland

Last year my husband suggested we trace my ancestry in County Cork, Munster, Ireland, in memory of my father who sadly passed away in 2023. He dearly wanted to do this trip, so on 15 September we left for London enroute to the Emerald Isle. We hired a car headed towards the ferry to cross the choppy Irish Sea.

Our first stop was Waterford City where we visited Mount Sion in New Street which is where Blessed Edmund Rice’s first school was built. We also looked around the museum and saw his bedroom and where he passed away, the chapel with his tomb and the very special, beautiful windows and icon.

After Waterford, we drove to Callan, the town where Edmund was born. His family home has a thatched roof and is named ‘Westcourt’, a familiar name to ATC families as one of our buildings is named after it. On a rainy Irish afternoon, we found Brother John at the Monastery and he gave us a personal tour of Edmund’s home, including the main bedroom and a display of his mother’s rosary beads. Brother John emphasized the significant role Edmund’s mother played in his early education, in his faith and his values.

It was a privilege to be able to visit these significant sites as a teacher in an EREA school and bring back stories and memories to my students and colleagues. I look forward to seeing more in the future.