Madam, - The demotion of early and medieval Irish as a full degree subject at UCD is lamentable. The worth of a scholarly or scientific subject cannot be estimated by counting heads. Old Irish language and literature are vital not only to the understanding of Irish origins but also for modern Ireland's perception of itself.
In time the erosion of Old Irish at UCD would have damaging consequences for the serious study of Irish history, Irish Latinity, and comparative philology. Old Irish is difficult, but its very hardness is a reason for promoting it; in an age of austerity Mr De Valera showed great wisdom when he included it in the subjects to be investigated in his new Institute for Advanced Studies.
The self-congratulatory, oligarchic, over-paid managers at UCD have been behaving as though they were CEOs of a pharmaceutical corporation or other conglomerate. They should be reminded of the true purposes of universities and of the enduring merits of learning for its own sake without regard to soulless utility and impertinent quantification. - Yours, etc,
GEORGE HUXLEY, School of Classics, Trinity College, Dublin 2.