Edmund Rice Heritage Centres

Focus on our Heritage is one way of remembering our origins and story, of maintaining our spirit, culture and values, and of gaining inspiration for our lives today. The spiritual and social culture bequeathed by Edmund Rice is distinctive from other heritage centres and places of devotion and education.

The physical heritage includes buildings and historic places, monuments, artifacts, etc., that are considered worthy of preservation for the future.

The intangibles include spirit, charism, social values and traditions, customs and practices, artisticexpression, language, and other aspects of human activity.

Both the physical artifacts of our heritage and the intangible attributes of the Congregations that we inherited from past generations, are maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations.

The two Congregations, recognizing the value of heritage in telling the story and holding the values and charism of Edmund Rice into today's world, have given much attention in recent years to four heritage sites.

Letter - Assistance needed at Heritage Centres

The four centres are:

• Mt Sion, Waterford:
  The site of the establishment of Edmund's first monastery and first permanent school, which opened in 1803 after temporary accommodation in New Street Waterford as from 1802. It is the place where Edmund's remains lie within the Edmund Rice Chapel and where an extensive museum tells the story of Edmund and the Brothers.
• Westcourt, Callan:
  The birthplace of Edmund where the Rice family home still exists and is open to visitors.
• O'Connell Schools, North Richmond St Dublin:
  The monastery and school was opened in 1831 and Edmund lived there from 1831 to 1838. Edmund Rice House is now the centre of some Province activities and houses the Allen Library.
• Mardyke Centre Cork:
  The Presentation Brothers' Heritage Centre which, apart from highlighting the history of the Presentation Brothers, also incorporates a feature acknowledging the role of women in Edmund's life.

There four recognized Heritage Centres come under the umbrella of a Company formed by the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers in 2003. The Company is the Edmund Rice International Heritage Centres Limited and its brief is to develop and maintain these Heritage Centres which have great historical value to the two Congregations.