A chara, – The column by Anthony J Jordan (Rite & Reason, August 2nd) suggests that John A Costello won the argument with the church over the establishment of An Foras Talúntais. This was not the case.
At the end of the second World War, Ireland was to receive substantial funding from the US under what was known as the Marshall Plan. It was decided that some of this fund should be directed to the establishment of an institute devoted to education and research in agriculture and related fields.
It was proposed that the faculty of agriculture of University College Dublin, the faculty of dairy science at University College Cork and the Veterinary College of Ireland be transferred to the new institute, which would be governed by a board on which the National University of Ireland and the University of Dublin would both have representation.
It was to this part of the plan that the Catholic bishops objected. They objected to Catholic students attending an institution in which Trinity College had a role in its governance.
In 1956 the Costello government capitulated and agreed that the new institute would confine itself to research and play no role in undergraduate education. – Beir bua,
BRIAN Ó SÚILLEABHÁIN
Droim Chill Saileach,
Sligeach.