Sir, - There is a proposal of May 20th to get rid of the faculties of Semitic Studies (weakening Greek by losing two lecturers) Italian, Geology and Statistics in Queen's University Belfast. One hundred and seven Professors/ Lecturers are being laid off from these and other disciplines.
The prospect of the fundamental languages of culture in the Judeo-Christian world being abolished from the Belfast university, without a word from the senate, the churches, the poets, writers and heads of grammar schools, indicates a loss of interest in Irish and European culture.
In the seventh, eighth and ninth centuries, Hebrew and Greek were taught in Armagh and Bangor and taken all over Europe of the dark ages. The creative arts, culture, drama, films, poetry and literature will now be damaged and we can offer nothing to the 21st century. - Yours, etc., Rt. Rev. Monsignor Denis Faul, Headmaster,
St Patrick's Academy Dungannon, Co. Tyrone.