DOROTHY WALKER,
Sir, - Having, unfortunately, been too ill to attend any of the National Gallery's celebrations of its new building, I was delighted to read Medb Ruane's merry, proud and spirited account of the opening gala dinner.
I have just one feather of a crow to pluck with her: while she is quite right that "paying for such a building and facilities means eventing and marketing on a scale Ireland has never seen before", I would remind her and your readers that borrowing one exhibition of beautiful, valuable paintings from one single museum is very much easier than borrowing 150 exciting and valuable paintings from museums and collectors all over the world, as happened in the first Rosc exhibition in 1967.
Creating a magical - if temporary - space out of the Industries Hall of the RDS for the same exhibition, as the artist Patrick Scott did, was also eventing on a scale not seen before or since in Ireland. The original budget for Rosc '67 was £13,000.
I look forward immensely to visiting the new permanent gallery and feel sure it is worth its €33 million. - Yours, etc.
DOROTHY WALKER, Saint Mary's Lane, Dublin 4.