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Mary Aikenhead was born in Cork in 1787. Her father, Dr David Aikenhead, was an apothecary and a member of the Church of Ireland. Her mother, Mary Stackpole, was from a Roman Catholic aristocrat family. Mary was fostered out to John and Mary Rourke, a poor Roman Catholic couple, until she was six when the Rourkes came to live with her family as servants. |
Our History
Not only is Mary Aikenhead our foundress, but her writings and the life she led is a continual inspiration to us. In these pivotal scenes from her life, we hope you can get a flavour of what an extraordinary person she was. The pictures shown in this section are of miniature scenes on display at our Heritage Centre in Harold's Cross, where visitors are welcome to explore her life, writings, and the work of our order.