Sister Cecily Dillon (c. 1603 – 1653) was an Irish co-foundress and first abbess of the Irish
Poor Clares
The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare ( la, Ordo sanctae Clarae) – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis ...
in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
, Ballinacliffey and
Athlone
Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...
.
Early life
Cecily Dillon was born around 1603, most likely in Kellefaghny,
County Westmeath
"Noble above nobility"
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 =
, subdivis ...
Eleanor
Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It is the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages.
The name was introd ...
, Dillon was one of the first Irishwomen to join the English Poor Clares at
Gravelines
Gravelines (, ; ; ) is a commune in the Nord department in Northern France. It lies at the mouth of the river Aa southwest of Dunkirk. It was formed in the 12th century around the mouth of a canal built to connect Saint-Omer with the sea. As ...
in Flanders. Dillon professed as Sister Cecily of St Francis on 8 September 1622.
Religious life
Dillon left Gravelines with three other Irish nuns in May 1625 to found an Irish convent at
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label= French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Nieuwpoort to found a community there. They wanted to return to Ireland, and with help from the Irish Franciscan priests and their brothers George and Louis, the first Poor Clare convent was established in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
in June 1629 with Dillon as abbess. Eleanor had died soon after their return to Dublin. As their brother Lucas was a member of the Irish privy council, the convent was able to withstand the suppression of religious houses at the time. However, on 22 October 1630 their convent was raided and ordered to disband. The nuns went to stay at Sir Lucas's estate in County Westmeath temporarily instead of disbanding. The sisters established a new convent on the Dillon estate at Ballinacliffey on
Lough Ree
Lough Ree () is a lake in the midlands of Ireland, the second of the three major lakes on the River Shannon. Lough Ree is the second largest lake on the Shannon after Lough Derg. The other two major lakes are Lough Allen to the north, and Lou ...
in 1631 which was known as Bethlehem. Six of Dillon's nieces joined the order, including the daughters of the lords Westmeath, Fingall and Gormanston.
In late 1641 when rebellion broke out in Ireland, the sisters evacuated their convent. It was raided and burned in 1642, with the sisters sheltering with their relatives and friends. The community had over 30 sisters at this time, with some moving to
County Galway
"Righteousness and Justice"
, anthem = ()
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg
, map_caption = Location in Ireland
, area_footnotes =
, area_total_km2 = ...
, and four moving to
Wexford
Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N1 ...
. Dillon remained in Athlone until 1653, being re-elected abbess at least five times. When
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...
declared that all nuns were "to marry or leave the country" in 1653, Dillon led a group of nuns to
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
where they believed they would be welcomed into religious houses there. However, when they arrived at
Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia, a Roman province
** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia
** The medieval King ...
, their ship was quarantined and they were not allowed to land. While on board the ship, Dillon became sick and died, and is buried in Spain.