Rosemary McCloskey
Description
This exhibit documents the life and memories of Sr. Rosemary McCloskey. Rosemary was born in Belfast in 1946 and her stories provide a rich description of her childhood experiences of the 1950's. Upon completion of teacher training, Rosemary made the decision to join the Sisters of Mercy order of Catholic nuns. Her stories provide a fascinating description of her Novitiate training as well as her work with the missions in Africa.
Credits
McTiernan, K. & O'Donnell, D. (2012) Life Histories Archive, http://www.lifehistoriesarchive.com/exhibits/show/rosemary-mccloskey
Sections
Childhood and Early Life
This section of the exhibit contains images, documents and stories relating to Rosemary's childhood and early life. She remembers making her holy communion and the importance of religion in daily life. She also shares some of her memories of school and family life.
Adolescence and Early Adulthood
The stories, documents and images displayed in this section of the exhibit describe Rosemary's adolescence and early adulthood. She remembers her days in secondary school and notes that during this time her passion for Gaelic language and culture originated. Also contained in this section are memories of the horrors of Bloody Friday as well as teacher training college.
Work and Employment
Rosemary's recollections of work and employment are displayed in this section of the exhibit. In her stories, she remembers undergoing teacher training and making the decision to join the Sisters of Mercy to become a Catholic nun. She provides vivid details of her novitiate training in Waterford. Furthermore, the stories and images represented in this section document her times working in the Missions in Africa and subsequently in England.
Retirement
This section of the exhibit displays Rosemary's stories in which she outlines her thoughts and feelings as she commences her retirement.
Reflections
The documents, images and stories contained in this section of the exhibit record Rosemary's reflections upon her life. She notes the importance of her family and friends. Of particular interest is her reflective piece in which she outlines her motives for writing her life story and evaluates her contribution to future generations of her family.