Through the Arch

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Remembering 170 Years from 1846-2016

Plot

Through The Arch is a fascinating history of almost two centuries of educating deaf girls begun by the women to whom I also owe my education, the Dominican sisters. To pioneer the education of young girls in a world which routinely ignored the deaf, was to bring the miracle of a voice which had so long been denied to these most marginalized of our citizen. To have begun the venture in the mouth of the Great Famine is bordering on incredible but says something powerful about the values of faith and hope which underpinned its beginnings.The commitment of staff and the courage of students is recorded here with both affection and scholarly attention to detail.
It is after all a real labor of love but it is much more than that for every page helps us to understand and to grow in admiration for one of the most overlooked sectors of our people, those who live with deafness. This is their story; in fact these are their many stories, shaped by the gift of education and distilled into an important chapter in our country's history. To read it is to see our country through new eyes and to take time to listen to the power of its once silent voices. - Mary McAleese, 8th President of Ireland-2011

The publication of 'Through the Arch' has been an achievement 170 years in the making. I applaud Josephine O'Leary and Alvean Jones for their editorial work on this amazing book. The book does credit to their efforts - packed with facts about St.Mary's School for Deaf Girls and Showcasting the richness if its history. It is a valuable resource - indeed, a must-read- for all educators, researches and historians interested in the area and of course, for those many women who spent time in St.Mary's, it is worth a read. Well Done. - Teresa Lynch, Assistant Professor, Centre for Deaf Studies, Trinity College Dublin.