CLARE, Sister Mary Francis [Cusack] Cloister Songs and Hymns for Children (First edition)

London: Burns & Co., & Dublin: M.H. Gill & Son, 1881. First edition. Crown octavo. pp. 181. Original bright blue cloth, covers blocked in blind with decorative panel borders, upper cover lettered and ornamented in gilt with Celtic-inspired initials and interlaced design, spine lettered in gilt. Decorative bookplate of A.T. Leonard on front pastedown. A near fine copy. Rare.
No copy located in JISC.
A scarce devotional work by Sister Mary Francis Clare (1829–1899), better known as Margaret Anna Cusack, the celebrated “Nun of Kenmare”, one of the most remarkable and controversial religious figures in nineteenth-century Ireland. A prolific author, social reformer, and advocate for the poor, she published numerous works on Irish history, religion, education, and social questions, becoming one of the best-known Catholic writers of her generation. Her writings enjoyed an international readership and played a significant role in shaping popular Catholic culture in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora.
Designed for the religious instruction and moral formation of children, Cloister Songs and Hymns for Children contains a collection of hymns, verses, and devotional songs intended for use in schools, homes, and religious communities. The work reflects Sister Clare’s lifelong commitment to education and her belief that music and verse could serve as powerful instruments of faith and character formation. The attractive binding, with its Celtic-inspired ornament and interlaced design, is characteristic of the growing interest in Irish decorative motifs during the closing decades of the nineteenth century. A notably well-preserved example of a rare publication. No copy has been located in JISC, suggesting a work of considerable scarcity.
Margaret Anna Cusack founded convents in both Ireland and England and became widely known through works such as The Illustrated History of Ireland and Life of Daniel O’Connell. Her eventful career, which included a later break with the Roman Catholic Church, made her one of the most discussed religious figures of Victorian Ireland.

[L4 5E]