The congregation founded in Waterford in 1802 by Edmund Rice was known as the Society of the Presentation, but events which followed the General Chapter of 1822 brought about changes both in name and organisation.

Bishop Murphy of Cork did not allow the Brothers in the North Monastery, the only community of Brothers in the Cork diocese, to attend the Chapter or to accept the Brief of Pope Pius VII which authorised the Brothers to become a Pontifical Congregation.

For some time the Brothers in Cork remained as a Diocesan Congregation with Bishop Murphy as their superior, but by 1827 all but two of the community had become members of the Pontifical Congregation now know as the Irish Christian Brothers.

Br.Augustine Riordan and one other Brother whose name has not been recorded continued to observe the original rule as a Diocesan Congregation and retained the name Presentation Brothers.

Ten houses were established in Ireland (and one in England) before the Presentation Brothers also became a Pontifical Congregation at the General Chapter of 1889.