1972 Poor Clare Nuns, Blantyre
Pictured here in 1972 is a wonderful, happy photo of the Poor Clare Nuns in Blantyre, a year or so before they moved to Bothwell.
Since moving, their Community has changed over the years. Several of the Sisters have died and the rest are all just a little older! In 2007 they were very happy to welcome their Sisters from Neath in South Wales. Like them, they had been founded from Ireland and belong to the same Poor Clare Federation which exists for the mutual support of all the monasteries.
2010 The Poor Clare nuns at Bothwell
There are now twelve Sisters in their Community. Although they’re all growing older and some of the Sisters not in the best of health, there is great life, joy and laughter in the popular Community. Pictured here are the sisters in a relatively recent picture from 2010.
Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said:
Jackie MacDonald Yvonne Mcdade. Mind you sold my mums furniture to buy shopping for these Nuns? Lol
John Daly My father used to do wee electrical repair jobs for them. I mind having to go and pick things up from them..iron..cooker etc. Never once saw one of them.
Gord Fotheringham My da did the maintenance for them
John Krawczyk My dad took us in sometimes when dropping off different things for them. Revolving door was a bit creepy.
Christine Stillie No Nicola Philp I worked in Lanark I took all your toys there when we moved to calderwood dr x
Nicola Philp I know you did 😢😢😢
Elaine Campbell McQuade Used to visit them on the way home from school- you had to speak to the through what looked like a confessional. Xx
Margaret Duncan In the early 70s my friend Candy Hodgson joined the order and is now called Sr Mary Veronica – I get a nice newsy letter from her every Christmas – her letters are always very joyful
Karen Nicoll Visited the nuns many times at the convent, my friends and I were given diluted juice and biscuits through the hatch.
In 1972 when my mum was having heart surgery, mother superior gave me a gift for my mum to wear around her neck, and prayers were assured.
Fond memories of the Poor Clares in Blantyre.
Janet Slivinski We visited them for years lovely ladies x
Tom McGuigan The house on the Dandy was presented to them as a gift from the Kelly family of Celtic fame
Isabel Mcneily Dropped food off there many times for the poor
Moira Lees Candy Hodgson stayed beside me in Clarkwell Rd in Hillhouse 3rd nun from the right
John Daly My father used to repair electrical equipment for them. I would be sent to pick up a kettle or an iron or something and it would be placed in the revolving barrel-hatch. I’d take it away, he’d repair it and I’d take it back and hand it over thro the barrel again.
Done that for years. Never saw a nun.
Andrea Rodgers Was the ladies not allowed visitors, everyone talks about the hatch
Moira Mulvaney Pacheco I used to go in and visit them on a Sunday after Mass. you spoke to them through a grill.
Fran Mcdermott Walters We would take down food to them x
Moira Mulvaney Pacheco The 2 sisters that taught in St Joseph’s did everything for them . I can’t remember there names
Gord Fotheringham My father did repairs for them all the time….he used to take me with him
Eddie Campaigne I was message boy for Wullie Norris in stone field rd in the 70’s…i would take my big bike with the basket on the front like the hooves advert and take a big box of groceries there every friday you had to ring a bell and they had a big rotation drum you put the box in…most of the time they had to open the doors anyway as the box was too big and i would carry it to the kitchen…they wore sandals even in the middle of winter !!
Rita Stewart Docherty My sister,friends and I went to visit them fairly often when we were around 8-10 yrs old..it was all very mysterious as we weren’t allowed to see anyone we just heard a lovely warm voice from behind the revolving hatch …we felt very ‘holy’ and thought we should tell her our ‘problems’ Then we discovered that sometimes people left gifts or donations so we would leave our pocket money (pennies)..One time though, we left some cooking apples..not realizing that the apples were actually poached from ‘boat jocks’!!!
…oh the guilt when we found out!!
Kylie Forrest That’s our house
Catherine Murphy Lovely photo of the sisters God bless each one of yous .
Margaret Quinn I thought they weren’t allowed to show their faces not even to their families
Ann Millar Use to take sugar & a wee packet of biscuits up to them now & again & they would give you a wee relic, nice memories.
Ann Millar A never seen them Margaret, they were behind a big kin a dome thing when they spoke to you
Catherine Whitefield Used to take a food parcel an money envelope every Friday from my employer
Marilyn Farrell Used to take food to them and found it quite scary being a young kid , bless them
Bernadette Mcparland We used to visit them a few times a week when the convent was in the Dandy!!
Nancy McFadden I remember hearing the bell when I was staying with my Aunt Grace in her pre fab. Yes it was very mysterious
Helen Docherty Reid I would go with my pals from school. We never seen the nuns though.
Isobel Paterson Half of my mothers shopping went there lol we put ma friends we brother on the hatch he was terrified lol they were all very nice
Mary Swan I remember Mrs Valerio sending me down to the convent on Sunday afternoons with Ice cream for the nuns. She had a heart of gold and always gave me a cone when I came back. Used to put it in the big drum thing and the sisters would burl it round and take it out, We stayed in Mickey’s building and I will never forget how good Mrs Valario was to me.
Isabella Chatham There was an open day when the nuns first arrived it was packed they took you round the house that was the day once everyone was gone you never seen them after that also there parents were there so they were saying goodbye to there family it was sad for the parents
Brian Jack Lots of sinister story’s came from this place
I would like to join you direct me .thank you
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