Page:Sermons in Irish-Gaelic - O'Gallagher.djvu/17

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from manuscripts in Public Libraries in Rome." This last authentic and most important work has been published only within the past year,

TRADITION.

Many important events which occurred in the early part of the eighteenth century have been made known to the generations now living, through the mouth of well-sustained truthful tradition. In the early part of the present century there lived in the diocese of Raphoe many persons who had seen and heard the holy bishop, Dr. O'Gallagher, in the days of his episcopal missionary life. These good people narrated in their day some of the incidents regarding him to others. The late venerable prelate, the Most Rev. Patrick MacGettigan, Lord Bishop of Raphoe, known so well to almost every clergyman at present in Ireland, saw and spoke to those who themselves had heard and seen the Most Rev. Dr. O'Gallagher. Some few of the incidents, narrated by the late venerable bishop to the present illustrious Primate of All Ireland, regarding the author of those Sermons are, now for the first time, presented in these pages.

HIS OWN WORK.

Indeed the preface to the first edition of the Irish Sermons plainly points out, that their author was a bishop, and that he wrote and published those discourses in times of trial and great national turmoil. He says: "St. Paul gave strict charge to his beloved disciple, St. Timothy, to preach incessantly the word of God —Prædica verbum, insta opportune, importune—2 Tim. 4. In discharge, then, of this duty—that of