Madam, - I am a history research student attached to NUI, Maynooth. I am currently researching the life and times of Prof T.A. Smiddy, who was UCC's first professor of economics, adviser to Michael Collins during the Treaty negotiations, and Ireland's first officially recognised diplomat to the United States.
Prof Smiddy also held many other positions up the late 1950s. These these included chairman of the tarriff commission, director of the Central Bank and chairman of the Summer Time Committee. He was also a director of Arklow Pottery.
I would be extremely interested in hearing information from people who have information on Smiddy, or who had a first-hand acquaintence with him. - Yours, etc,
PAUL GAFFEY, Department of History, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co Kildare.