Mary Stanislaus MacCarthy

Sister Mary Stanislaus MacCarthy (1849–1897) was an Irish poet, educator and nun. MacCarthy was a daughter of poet Denis Florence MacCarthy, who wrote as "Desmond of The Nation" and Elizabeth MacCarthy (née Donnelly). Biography Mary MacCarthy was born on 26 December 1849 in Blackrock, County Dublin and was the eldest of nine children. As a child she became a student of St. Catherine's Dominican Convent, Sion Hill, Blackrock, aged 10. She became a novice of the convent on the 18 December 1867, later joining the community in 1869, completing her vows and becoming Sister Mary Stanislaus of the Order of St. Dominick on 14 June 1870. Becoming an English literature teacher, she continued to practice and educate at St Catherine's until she was taken ill with typhoid fever in the summer of 1897, dying on the grounds of St Catherine's on 11 August 1897, aged 47, after having served as a nun for 29 years and 10 months. Family and early years 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, which appeared in the Dublin University Magazine in March 1851. At age four, Mary's 13 month old brother, Willie, died on 30 November 1854. Her early years were spent at the family home in Summerfield, Dalkey, County Dublin. She showed her poetic talent as a young girl when she wrote an unpublished manuscript of sonnets titled 'Extracts and Translations etc.', which contained sonnets about her family members, particularly her brother Florence and historical figure Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon was later mentioned in her published work Assumption of the Blessed Virgin.