The Dominican nuns at Cabra, Dublin are still renowned throughout the city for their educational and religious work, but in a special manner their name is linked with their work for the deaf. We here in Cape Town were fortunate enough, through the efforts of the late Dr Grimley, Vicar Apostolic of the Western Cape, to welcome those same Dominican Sisters to our shores in 1863. More fortunate was it for the poor, neglected Deaf of the Cape that the first Mother Prioress of these good sisters was Mother Dympna Kinsella, who had worked for years in Cabra for the Deaf and was deeply interested in them. Mother Dympna could not ignore the afflicted persons in the Cape and her maternal heart warmed to them immediately. She took care of them and taught them with the greatest delight and enthusiasm. She also called upon her fellow Sisters to come from Cabra, Ireland and assist her in the Cape with her school for the Deaf. The Dominican School for Deaf Children, Wittebome, is inspired by ...