Stephen William Coppinger
Father Stephen William Coppinger
Early life
Cousin of the Colonel John John Coppinger, Stephen William Coppinger was born, 4th January 1803, the son of Stephen William Coppinger
& Joanna Coppinger. He studied for the priesthood at the Seminary of San Sulpice, Paris, and ordained by his uncle
Dr. William Coppinger, Bishop of Cloyne, 29th April 1829.
Stephen William Coppinger, known simply as Stephen, was deeply affected by the needs of poor and deprived children of
his native Midleton; just as Nano Nagle before him did in the city. There is, however, no evidence that she was ever
in Midleton.
Presentation Convent and school
Stephen Coppinger’s greatest achievement and legacy must be Midleton’s Presentation Convent and school, completed in
1834. It was the realisation of a dream of this young priest to improve the poor health of the children of his parish,
and only 26 years of age when construction began in 1829. Stephen’s sister; Dorinder, married, John Musson Ashlin,
whose son George Coppinger Ashlin, was in partnership with Edward Welby Pugin (1834-1875), the renowned London Architect.
Angelina Gould was born Portugal, 1792 the daughter of a wealth Irish merchant. Her parents had left their native
country some years previously and taken up residence, where they had acquired an enormous commercial wealth. She joined
the Presentation Order as a novitiate at Doneraile in 1826 and made her religious profession in 1829. She brought with
her a fortune of approximately £60,000.00, and willed that a greater portion of her fortune be employed in the building
of Presentation convents in the Cloyne Diocese for the promotion of Catholic education of the poor. She was a first
cousin of the Bishop.
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