Mary Stanislaus MacCarthy

She became a novice of the convent on the 18 December 1867,[2][3] later joining the community in 1869, completing her vows and becoming Sister Mary Stanislaus of the Order of St. Dominick on 14 June 1870.

[3] In her infancy her father dedicated poetry to her, notably a sentimental piece ‘A valentine: to my daughter “Murillo”, fourteen months old’ on 14 February,[4] which appeared in the Dublin University Magazine in March 1851.

[6] MacCarthy began writing religious poetry as a young woman and is believed to have had her first work published in the first edition of the Irish Monthly, December 1873.

[7] After assisting in preparing a new foundation in Tyrawley House, 19 Eccles St., Dublin, with Mother Antonina Hanley (December 1882–January 1883),[8] she returned to Sion Hill.

In September 1886, she began teaching in the convent's new university department which prepared female students for RUI examinations,[1] the first degree for women in Ireland considered to be on par with their male counterparts.

Dominican nuns of Sion Hill, such as MacCarthy, were noted as having challenged accepted gender roles in Irish education, contributing to curriculum reform and encouraging girls to register for public examinations.

[9] Due to personal belief or cultural climate, it was not deemed appropriate by the Dominican nuns to campaign publicly for women's educational rights, but MacCarthy and her peers felt comfortable pushing for curriculum reform and acceptance of competitive examinations for girls.

In memory of MacCarthy's death, Reverend Matthew Russell submitted a poem to The Irish Monthly entitled "When one within thy convent home would die".