Anna Maria Ball facts for kids

Anna Maria Ball (who later became Anna Maria O'Brien) was an Irish woman born in 1785. She is remembered as a kind and generous person who spent her life helping others. This kind of person is called a philanthropist. She worked hard to support many charities and religious groups in Dublin, Ireland, especially those helping people in need.

Who Was Anna Maria Ball?

Anna Maria Ball was born in 1785 in Dublin, Ireland. She was the second daughter of John Ball, a successful silk merchant. Her mother was Mabel Clare. Anna Maria had a brother named Nicholas Ball, who became one of the first Roman Catholic judges in Ireland. Her younger sister, Frances Mary Teresa Ball, later became a nun and started the Sisters of Loreto order.

Early Life and Education

From 1800 to 1803, Anna Maria went to school at St Mary's convent in Micklegate Bar, Yorkshire, England. When she returned to Dublin, she started her important work of helping others. In 1805, she married John O'Brien, a wealthy merchant from Dublin. She brought a dowry of £5000 to the marriage, which was a large sum of money given by the bride's family.

Helping Others: Her Philanthropic Work

Anna Maria Ball was very dedicated to helping people. She became good friends with Mary Aikenhead in 1807. Mary Aikenhead later started the Religious Sisters of Charity, a group of nuns who helped the poor and sick. Anna Maria often visited poor areas of Dublin with Mary Aikenhead. She was also close friends with Daniel Murray, who later became the Archbishop of Dublin. Anna Maria used her friendship with him to help Mary Aikenhead establish the Sisters of Charity.

Supporting the Sisters of Charity

In 1809, Anna Maria helped set up the House of Refuge in Dublin. This was a place for people who needed help. In 1814, she helped move it to a new location where the new Sisters of Charity took over running it. Anna Maria was a very generous supporter of the Sisters of Charity. She helped them raise money for St. Vincent's Hospital. In 1833, she even traveled with three sisters to Paris so they could learn about nursing.

Other Ways She Helped

Anna Maria Ball also visited people in need at Kilmainham Gaol, which was a prison, and at Jervis Street Hospital. She was put in charge of the sisters' school on King's Inns Street. She continued in this role until she was too old to visit regularly. Anna Maria also supported the Sisters of Loreto, which was founded by her own sister, Frances Mary Teresa Ball. She gave money to help the sisters buy their house on St Stephen's Green.

Family and Later Years

Anna Maria Ball did not have her own children. However, she raised the three children of her older half-brother, John Ball, after he passed away in 1812. She died on March 28, 1871, at her home in Mountjoy Square. She had been unwell for about two years before her death. A painting of Anna Maria Ball from 1845, made by Nicholas Joseph Crowley, is now kept by the Sisters of Charity.