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| CHURCH AND COVENT, KENMAR, CO. KERRY. -Less than a dozen years ago Mary Frances Cusack-known in religion as Sister Mary Frances Clare-was beloved by millions of the Irish race who used to call her "The Nun of Kenmare." Since then circumstances the most unfortunate have sent the once popular idol into obsecurity, but the church and covent of the Holy Cross and St. Clare, shown in the picture, will at once recall the name of that brilliant, but eccentric and unhappy lady. Miss Cusack was a convert, and, for years, was one of the boldest and most eloquent advocates of the rights of the Irish people. In this country, to which she came on a mission, she got into quite an unnecessary conflict with the church authority in the East and hence the change in her condition. The town of Kenmare is a small, but clean and delightful place, situated at the head of the bay of the same name, in the county Kerry. It is approached from the Cork shore of the harbor by a suberb suspension bridge. Knemare was founded in 1670 by an ancestor fo the Landsdownse family, Sir William Petty. Eighteen years later it was captured by a detachment of James II's Irish army. As the inhabitants were Williamites, the elected to emigrate to Bristol, in England, but most of them came back to Kenmare after the capitualtion of Limerick. The Gaelic form of the name Kenmare is Ceann-mara-the "Head of the Sea." |
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