Statement by President Michael D. Higgins on the Death of Sr Stanislaus Kennedy
Date: Mon 3rd Nov, 2025 | 12:05
“It is with the deepest sense of sadness that so many will have learnt of the death of Sr Stanislaus Kennedy.
I will always associate her with 1974, when in Kilkenny with my colleague the late Séamus Ó Cinnéide and others, they read papers on poverty in Ireland, described in the media as ‘the discovery of poverty in Ireland’.
Sister Stan, as she was so affectionately known, was a deeply committed campaigner for the vulnerable and marginalised in our society, and a fearless advocate for human rights and equality.
Telling the truth of inequality required a woman of immense courage and vision. She was that. I had the privilege of meeting with her on many occasions over the years. On each occasion, she demonstrated the generosity of spirit, integrity and immense strength of character that defined her life’s work.
Sister Stan’s contribution to Irish society is profound.
Her work informed the groundbreaking work on poverty of the late Frank Cluskey and Flor O’Mahony.
From her work as the first chair of the National Committee on Pilot Schemes to Combat Poverty in the 1970s to her pioneering work with homeless women in Dublin leading to the founding of Focus Ireland in the 1980s, she has provided immeasurable support to those facing poverty and homelessness.
Her founding of The Sanctuary to provide meditation and spiritual space in Dublin in the 1990s showed a special insight while through her establishment of the Immigrant Council of Ireland in the 2000s, and so many more initiatives besides which followed, Sister Stan for decades provided practical support and action for so many.
Beyond her immediate work, Sister Stan’s many books and writings provided a further source of policy, inspiration, solace and support for so many.
She will be greatly missed as an iconic figure on social justice and care.
May I express my deepest condolences to Sister’s Stan’s family, to her fellow members of the Religious Sister of Charity, to her colleagues and to her wide circle of friends and supporters.
Ar dheis dé go raibh a hanam dílis.”