Sr. Consilio was born in 1937 in Brosna, Co. Kerry. She trained as a nurse at the North Infirmary, Cork and in 1959 joined the Sisters of Mercy in Athy, Co. Kildare. She later trained as a midwife at St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork. As a young religious Sister, she worked as a nurse in St. Vincent’s Hospital Athy, which at the time was a ‘County Home’. It was during this time that Sr. Consilio encountered homeless men who accessed County Homes as night shelters. She was moved by the struggles that the men were facing and soon recognised that in many cases, their situation was perpetuated as a result of their addiction to alcohol. In response, in 1966 she established Cuan Mhuire in a room in the Convent of Mercy Athy, Co. Kildare, to support those suffering from alcohol addiction.
Cuan Mhuire is centred on the philosophy that each human being is of eternal value, having the potential for wholeness in both human and spiritual terms. This recognises the innate goodness and giftedness of every individual, who walks through its doors.
In response to the increasing demand from people seeking addiction support, Sr Consilio developed the first purpose-built Cuan Mhuire, which was developed in 1972 with support from the men whom she had helped. With the assistance of her brother John, the Cuan Mhuire model was expanded across the island of Ireland with centres in Bruree, Co. Limerick (1977); Newry, Northern Ireland (1984) and Coolarne, Co. Galway (1994), offering detoxification and treatment for those suffering from alcohol and gambling addiction. In 2006, recognising the unique difficulties and challenges that some women experience with drug and alcohol addiction and the need for specialised recovery services, Sr. Consilio established the first female-only Cuan Mhuire treatment Centre in Co. Cork.
In 2011 Consilio was awarded an honorary MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of her lifelong work in helping individuals and families suffering from alcoholism and other addictions. Subsequently her commitment to humanity was recognised in 2019, when Sr. Consilio was awarded the Oireachtas Human Dignity Award.
