Sir, - Erin Gibbons, Save the Asgard Campaign (June 19th), is right in his assertion that a restored Asgard will not be the real thing. I feel very strongly of the need to reverse the decision to restore the Asgard. As a conservation architect I understand the ethos of conservation to mean that interventions into historic fabric should
be reversible. Conservation is preferred to restoration and pertains to retain all original fabric especially if an object is still intact and unchanged. Conservation in this case may mean it shouldn't sail again. Restoration will make it new again and so lose all the mystery and intrigue associated with an old and intact object. This uniqueness will vanish if work is allowed to proceed and a unique treasure will be lost forever.
I have sailed a number of times on the sail-training vessel Asgard II and it seems perverse that a former sail-training vessel be restored for the enjoyment of a limited few. - Yours, etc.,
Gareth O'Callaghan, Richmond Hill, Cork.