On 24 September 2022, Bishop Brendan Leahy officially opened the new Veritas store on O’Connell Street, Limerick, in the presence of locals. Bishop Leahy said he was “delighted and honoured” to open what is the seventh branch of Veritas in Ireland, in addition to its webstore for online purchases.
Veritas, the publications company of the Irish Bishops’ Conference, is one of Ireland’s oldest brands, founded in 1899. The high-street bookstore’s foray into retail started in 1928 in Abbey Street, Dublin, which still today houses its flagship retail outlet. Veritas combines general publishing, educational publishing, retail and distribution across Ireland and abroad.
Speaking at the launch, the Bishop of Limerick said, “Veritas has a brand that is instantly recognisable. Its been around for a long time and Veritas is known for its quality products. While its main purpose is to sell books, people call regularly to Veritas to purchase from its wonderful range, from candles to cards, from beautifully crafted objects to jewellery. I recall a well-known Irish journalist describing some years ago how calling into Veritas to pick up candles was part of his Christmas Eve ritual. He loved the atmosphere of the shop.”
Speaking on the importance of stores such as Veritas, the senior Prelate said, “I read recently something an ancient writer wrote that struck me. He pointed out that ‘when you are hungry or thirsty, remember your soul also is hungry and thirsty, when you feel sleepy remember your soul too needs rest. The soul’s rest is different to that of the body’.
“I am thinking of that quote this morning as I recognise that Veritas is not just simply another bookstore. Through what it has on offer, it is about providing resources that feed the hunger of our soul, quenching the thirst we have for spirituality and knowledge, offering materials that help our soul find rest.”
Based throughout Ireland and online, Veritas stores stock a wide range of titles from worldwide leading Christian publishers alongside an extensive range of religious goods and giftware. Veritas supplies over 1,200 parishes, over 4,000 schools and many retail customers in the areas of faith, education, prayer and devotion, health and wellbeing, as well as non-fiction and children’s books.
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