An order of nuns in Galway city has presented a set of vestments and tapestries that are over 300 years old to the local city museum.
The Dominican Order in Taylors Hill in Galway City donated the items to the museum after they were taken care of in their local convent by the Orders archivist Sr Rose O'Neill for the past 30 years.
According to Sr Rose, the items have been in the nuns hands for over 300 years.
She explained, “When Galway was taken by the Cromwellians in 1861 the 14 Dominican nuns in Galway took refuge in Spain. In 1868, two of them returned and brought Mass vestments and a few other items with them.”
She added. “What survived was preserved in the old convent and added to over years. One of the pieces is very important because it is a good example of the block printing that Spain was renowned for.”
Among the items in the collection is a brocade made by Sr Elizabeth Browne in Kirwan's Lane in 1730 that Sr Rose describes as, “quiet detailed” and, “in very good condition.”
According to Sr Rose the order passed over the items because, "We felt, after the old convent was demolished and replaced with a new building, that the time was right to hand them over to the museum where they would be properly looked after, because they are perishable.”
“I'm told there is nothing like them in Europe.”
Speaking at the handover of the items Galway Museum Conservationist James Reynolds said, “It will take some time to catalogue the items and prepare them for exhibition so that they won't be damaged and will be catalogued properly.”
It is expected that they will be put on public display in the coming weeks.