Nano Nagle Place Hosts Landmark Launch of 250th Anniversary Celebrations

On Saturday 20 December 2025 the official launch of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Presentation Congregation was held, marking a profound moment in Irish social, educational, and cultural history. The event took place in Nano Nagle Place, Cork, close to the site of Nano Nagle’s first schools and her original convent on Douglas Street, grounding the celebration firmly in the city where her remarkable mission began.

The anniversary commemorates Christmas Eve 1775, when Nano Nagle and three companions laid the foundations for what would become the Presentation Congregation – a bold and transformative movement dedicated to education, care for the poor, and social justice at a time when such actions were both dangerous and, in part, illegal under the Penal Laws. From Nano’s first community in Cork, new Congregations of Presentation Sisters were established across the globe.

Hosting the launch at Nano Nagle Place, now a site of heritage, education, and social justice, carried deep symbolic significance. The site stands beside the South Presentation Convent and within walking distance of the cabin schools where Nano first defied convention to educate the most marginalised children of Cork.

At the heart of the launch was a specially created ritual ceremony entitled “Take the Flame from Her Lantern”, inspired by a song composed for the occasion by Sr Miriam Martin. The ritual reflected Nano Nagle’s enduring symbol – the lantern – representing courage, compassion, and steadfast commitment to those most in need.

The ceremony invited participants to reflect on how Nano’s light continues to be carried forward today through education, social justice, and ecological awareness, igniting action and hope across generations and continents.

The launch was live streamed to audiences across six continents, highlighting the extraordinary global reach of Nano Nagle’s legacy and the ongoing work of the Presentation Sisters and their collaborators worldwide.

Presentation Sisters and their partners are active in 19 countries, including Ireland, Canada, the USA, England, the Holy Land, Zambia, Zimbabwe, India, Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Ecuador, Chile,  Bolivia and Dominica. Schools, social justice initiatives, ecological programmes, and community projects around the world continue to draw inspiration from Nano’s vision.

As an innovative and tenacious pioneer, Nano Nagle transcended the narrow boundaries imposed on women and Catholics in 18th-century Ireland. Beginning with secret cabin schools in mid-18th-century Cork, her work expanded rapidly, laying the foundations for one of the most influential education movements to emerge from Ireland.

Her impact has been widely recognised. In 2000, Nano Nagle was named Irish Woman of the Millennium, and in 2013 she was declared Venerable by Pope Francis. More recently, her life and legacy have been celebrated through initiatives such as UCC’s Women on Walls, reaffirming her relevance for contemporary society.

The launch at Nano Nagle Place marked the beginning of a year-long programme of celebrations, including events, educational initiatives, and international engagement which will take place throughout 2026. These celebrations will honour Nano Nagle’s extraordinary life while exploring how her vision continues to challenge and inspire responses to inequality, injustice, and the ecological crisis today.

Nano Nagle Place invites communities in Cork and beyond to take the flame from her lantern – and carry it forward into the future.