In this pictorial essay drawn from images in her new book, photographer Valerie O’Sullivan chronicles the working lives of the nuns of Glencairn Abbey in Co Waterford
A call to prayer...Monastic life at Glencairn Abbey calls the Sisters to prayer seven times a day, Abbess at Glencairn Sr Marie Fahy, leads the women to pray at the midday psalm called Sext. The ancient spiritual heritage is preserved by the sisters of Glencairn Abbey, women who work and pray through silence. They connect our world to heaven through hours of meditation and creativity. Their work is endless, their life is one of simplicity and order, yet there is a wonderful humanity and kindness that filters from the Abbey. We sense their prayers and their unfailing devotion to this life.Photo:Valerie O'Sullivan
Photo by
Eoin O'Hara
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The Community enjoy meeting together in the Chapter Room each morning, it gives them a chance to catch up before they continue on their days work.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan
Photo by
Eoin O'Hara
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Sr Liz Deasy, Sr Clothilde Anamizu and Sr Mairéad McDonagh with triplet lambs born at Glencairn Abbey. Spring time is a busy time with lambing season, a relatively new side of farming for Glencairn, Sr Lily now stocks a mixture of Suffolk, Texal and Charollais ewes, a ram and hoggets for breeding for the following season. Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan
Photo by
Eoin O'Hara
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Sr Anna, pressing the Eucharist bread. Glencairn produce both brown and white hosts from just two basic ingredients – specialized wheat flour and their own Glencairn spring water.There are no additives, artificial colourings or preservatives in the Baking the Eucharist Bread at Glencairn Abbey.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan
Photo by
Eoin O'Hara
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A busy time of year for Sr. Maria Therese Brosnan, left and Sr. Mairead McDonagh, but delighted with their newly refurbished printing department at the Abbey.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan
Photo by
Eoin O'Hara
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Easter Light…The Sisters of Glencairn Abbey, Co.Waterford, receiving the Easter Paschal light, from the flame of the sacred Paschal Fire at the Easter Vigil at Glencairn Abbey, Co.Waterford.The Easter Vigil begins at 2.30am until after sunrise on Easter Sunday Morning.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan
Photo by
Eoin O'Hara
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Praise him from the rooftop…Sr Michelle and Sr Mairéad cleaning the solar panels on the newly renovated living quarters at the Abbey. The new panels generate clean, green renewable energy from daylight - a free natural resource, thus saving on the Monasterys enormous electricity outlays.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan
Photo by
Eoin O'Hara
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At the centre of all monastic life is a life of work and prayer, Ora et labora , prayer is a moment of intimacy with God, in church or in solitude, work is also their prayer. Sr Angela cleans the windows of the church from the deposits left after the nesting house martins.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan
Photo by
Eoin O'Hara
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Sr Lily Scullion, Farm Manager at Glencairn Abbey, Co Waterford, here she is checking the Miscanthus Energy Crop before harvesting. Sr Lily runs the 200 acre farm at Glencairn Abbey, specialising in dry stock and tillage farming; wheat, barley, potato and fodder beat. The 25 acres allocated to the growing of Miscanthus will be used to heat the monastery in their recently installed bio-mass boiler replacing oil.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan
Photo by
Eoin O'Hara
