Presentation memorabilia wanted

By Katie O'Keeffe

Did you attend a Presentation convent or school?

From Bandon to Fermoy, from Crosshaven to Mitchelstown, and from Ballyphehane to Farranree, Nano Nagle Place are looking for past pupils of any Presentation school to join them for a crowdsourcing day this Saturday 4 June from 1-4pm.

“We know that there is a whole community of people who were pupils in Presentation schools and they come to us all of the time looking to make a connection with other people and hear stories so it sparked the idea to create a space for that,” Programme Manager of Nano Nagle Place, Danielle O’Donovan explained to the Cork Independent. Nano Nagle place are looking for any type of memorabilia that will help tell the story in their 'Presentation Cork' exhibition.

Danielle said: “We’ve a beautiful archive, but we are looking for more school uniforms or text books. Anything someone thinks would help to tell the story of what it was like to go to a Presentation school. A sister gave me a box of old pens they used to teach children to write with. It’s a little wooden stick with a bit of metal that would be dipped into ink.” Nano Nagle Place are also looking for 'Presentation Generations' like great grandmothers, grandmothers, mothers and daughters.

She said: “There are generations of families who would have all attended the same school and we would love to line up their communion and confirmation photos.”

Past Presentation pupils are being encouraged to bring along anything they find significant to their time in the school to the crowdsourcing event.