05/06/2026
A rare and interesting item held by the Local Studies section of Galway Public Libraries is this original Irish Language Cathecism ,"Lucerna Fidelium", or the Lamp of the Faithful, published in Rome by brother Pronsias O' Molloy in 1676 ,for distribution in Ireland amongst the Irish speaking Catholic faithful whose religion and language were being suppressed in this post Cromwellian wars era, which was leading up to the introduction of severe penal laws, some 20 years later. This book is entirely in Irish, apart from the title, with a beautiful Cló Gaelach script, and it is an important early example of a printed Irish language title. It is currently undergoing conservation work.