Madam, - On behalf of the delegates who gathered for the Forum on the Future of Irish Studies in Florence in 2005, and in response to Adrian Frazier's review of the proceedings of that forum in your pages ("Sales Pitch to the Taxpayer", Nov 11th), we write to address matters which Prof Frazier's review fails to include or obfuscates. Most western European countries, large and small, support an international cultural agency. The newly established Culture Ireland, while very welcome, does not outline an intention to nurture Irish studies abroad in its strategic plan, 2006-2010.
It was strongly suggested at the forum that the time has come for Ireland to grant robust sustenance to people working in Irish studies abroad with minimal support or recognition from the Irish State.
This is especially true now that Ireland is able to support and encourage overseas efforts on its behalf.
The Irish studies education of the young abroad is beneficial to Ireland in innumerable ways, and thus it was held that opportunities for Irish studies professionals to gain a degree of sponsored support for research trips to Ireland for faculty and students, among other things, would be appropriate and within Irish means.
True international cultural agencies operate in two directions, they don't merely promote talent abroad.
The forum was attended by delegates from many countries whose living conditions and other indicators are ranked far below those Ireland now enjoys. Their needs should be heard and their commitment and enthusiasm acknowledged.
We are witnessing an unprecedented expansion in Irish studies worldwide, which can only benefit Irish third-level institutions, and the forum's objective was, and is, to focus attention on this expansion, and seek to have it supported in intelligent and helpful ways.
The document reviewed can be downloaded, free, by all interested parties at http://www.irishforumflorence2005.com - Yours, etc,
Dr CHRISTINA HUNT MAHONY, Center for Irish Studies, The Catholic University of America, Washington DC;
Dr LAURA IZARRA, University of São Paulo, Brazil;
Prof ELIZABETH MALCOLM, Gerry Higgins Professor of Irish Studies, University of Melbourne;
Dr JOHN P HARRINGTON, Dean of Humanities, Rensselaer University, New York;
Dr ONDREJ PILNÝ, Centre for Irish Studies, Charles University, Prague;
CATRÍONA CROWE, National Archives of Ireland.
Editors, Report of The Irish Forum: The Future of Irish Studies