For the past year a photographic/video exhibition has been touring Irish venues to coincide with the centenary of the Irish State in 2023. It is a social history project called ‘Daring to Hope – Irish Religious Sisters Embracing the Unknown 1923-2023’. The project was the initiative of a group, supported by the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI).
It is a celebration of the work of selfless women, all sisters (or nuns, as we often – mistakenly – call them). These are the women who were at the coalface of Irish and foreign societies providing care for children and adults. They worked alone, they worked with partner groups and with their colleagues. They built schools and hospitals, and provided social services to millions of people. They did this work at a time of huge change, especially in this country as the new state grappled with its identity.
When the Irish State was either unwilling or unable to provide education for its children, sisters came along and provided the needful. Sisters also delivered healthcare, opening hospitals, providing the nursing care and social........

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