Sir, - The implication of Mr. King's remarks (August 29th) about the influence of Gaelic public signs at Queen's University is that during the period when unionist symbols predominated on the campus, there should have been a consequent decline in the number of students from the nationalist tradition attending the university. Of course, no such decline happened; in fact, if anything, their number increased.
If Mr. King is really interested in exploring the reasons for the perceived drop in the number of students from a unionist background attending Queen's, he should stop scapegoating the Gaelic language and simply consider the obvious reasons staring him in the face - the appeal of the more distant campus to young school-leavers, particularly to those who can afford the additional expense involved in studying away from home; the greater accessibility and wider range of courses available from the larger number of universities in Britain; the desire to get away from what was until recently the troubles and potential dangers of the Northern situation.
However, what I found most depressing about Mr, King's letter was the crude equation, implicit in his support of the removal of the signage, of the Gaelic language with party-political and tribal regalia. The Gaelic tradition is a significant element of the world's cultural mosaic, with a particular resonance for both Britain and Ireland. It is more enduringly significant than current political fashions and symbols, and the pity is that a senator of an eminent seat of learning in Northern Ireland is not among the first to realise the import of this. - Yours, etc,
Risteard Mac Gabhann,
Derry.