Saint Brigid’s Day Nursery opened its doors in October 1940. The nursery was an idea devised by a group of highly educated women, called the Ladies Committee of the Civics Institute.
The nursery was founded for local women-mothers of young children, who were forced to work- these children would have alternatively been left to their own devices. It was the first nursery centre in Ireland, catering for children from 2-5 years of age. The main aims were to teach independence and life skills around dressing and washing oneself and to counter loneliness by children playing with other children of the same age.
The building was housed on a converted tennis pavilion in the corner of the public gardens of Mountjoy Square and was designed by the architect Mairin Hope. She and her colleagues were very interested in Scandinavian practices.
Today, we continue to take huge pride in our preschool facility- providing a safe, happy nurturing environment for 60 of Dublin’s North Inner City children.
