Veronica Ryan

Veronica Ryan (26 June 1921 – 6 April 1966) was an Irish teacher, founder and headmistress of the Children's House Montessori School. She created the first custom-built Montessori school in Ireland.

Biography Ryan was born in Dublin on 26 June 1921. Her parents were William (1875–1957), a distiller, and Philomena Ryan (died 1959), (née Smith-Steinmetz). She had one sister and two brothers including John Archibald, distiller and governor of the Bank of Ireland. She attended Sacred Heart Convent, Mount Anville, County Dublin, where her paternal aunt, Alice Ryan, was the reverend mother. She shared an interest in educating young children with her aunt Alice, who introduced her to Mother Veronica Power of the Sacred Heart School, Monkstown. Mother Power was interested in the work of Maria Montessori, and encouraged Ryan to visit Italy to learn more about Montessori teaching to inform the development of a new Montessori class at the Sacred Heart, Monkstown.

She built her home, Homefield, beside the school later. She lived there until her death on 6 April 1966 from pneumonia. and still operates.