The death has taken place of Sr Stanislaus Kennedy.
Originally from Lispole in West Kerry, she’ll be remembered as a pioneering advocate for social justice and as a campaigner for those who are homeless.
She established Focus Ireland, the Immigrant Council of Ireland, and the Young Social Innovators.
Sr Stan's death this morning, aged 86, was announced by her order, the Religious Sisters of Charity.
Sr Stan was born Treasa Kennedy on June 19th 1939 in Lispole.
At the age of 18 she decided to become a nun and joined the Religious Sisters of Charity.
She was drawn to work with the poor, having noticed as a child that some people had a lot, while others had very little.
In the 1960s, while working in Kilkenny, alongside Bishop Peter Birch, Sr Stan developed Kilkenny Social Services, which became a blueprint for community care in Ireland.
In 1974, the Irish Government appointed her as the first chair of the National Committee on Pilot Schemes to Combat Poverty in Ireland.
In 1985, Sr Stan founded Focus Point, which is now Focus Ireland, an organisation providing services to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Three years later, Sr Stan established the Immigrant Council of Ireland, to promote the rights of immigrants.
In 2001, she founded the Young Social Innovators, a programme giving students an opportunity to become involved in social issues.
Sr Stan wrote six books, and received numerous awards for her work, including Kerry Person of the Year, and honorary doctorates in law from Trinity College Dublin, and the National University of Ireland.
Sr Patricia Lenihan, Superior General of the Religious Sisters of Charity, said, “Sr Stan was a powerful voice for compassion, equality, and systemic change throughout her life.
In 2022, UL conferred an honorary doctorate on Sr Stan.
This is what she said in her acceptance:
