Sir, - Michael Prior's letter on behalf of the Asgard Restoration Project (June 8th), leaves many important questions unanswered. Mr Prior asserts that the restoration of the vessel to sail will not entail 8090 per cent destruction of original timbers. All along the ARP has sought to keep the destructive implications of its proposed "restoration" from its own supporters, sponsors and the public. All the experts agree that there will be massive destruction and the large quantity of timbers already purchased by the ARP is clear evidence of its intentions.
Can Mr Prior finally come clean by stating publicly the level of destruction envisaged by the ARP? Is it not the case that knowledge of the level of destruction involved has already resulted in a number of prominent persons who originally supported the project coming to oppose it? Despite Mr Prior's attempt to confuse the issue, it remains a matter of fact that having carefully considered all aspects of the matter the Heritage Council stated its opposition to the ARP proposals. So also did the National Museum and the independent adviser employed by Ms Sile de Valera, Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.
Perhaps Mr Prior can shed light on a number of other questions such as why does the ARP intend to circumvent Department of Marine regulations for safety on sea and what are the implications of this? David Andrews, as Minister for Defence, dedicated £200,000 for conservation of Asgard as an intact vessel, so why did Fianna Fail do a U-turn? In all Minister de Valera's correspondence to Minister Michael Smyth she was totally opposed to the restoration. Why did she change her mind and who or what influenced that decision?
Why has ARP been given a licence by Minister de Valera which will effectively destroy the most intact Colin Archer yacht in the world? Why have most of the cultural and environmental organisations in Ireland as well as fishermen's groups and sailing interests opposed this "restoration"? (The full list can be consulted by reference to our website www.savetheasgard.org). Can it be because because they see the ARP's proposals as seeking to convert Asgard from public use as a national treasure to its exclusive use as a private toy by an elite group with corporate affiliations?
Is real history and real craftsmanship no longer important to those who appear content to delude themselves into thinking that a largely replicated siliconimpregnated Asgard is actually the real thing? - Yours, etc.,
Erin Gibbons, Save the Asgard Campaign, Daniel Street, Dublin 8.