Madam, - It has been reported that a Mass "to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the foundation of UCD by Cardinal Newman" took place at University Church on St Stephen's Green on Wednesday, December 8th.
Such a statement is incorrect. UCD was not founded by Cardinal Newman. UCD came into existence in 1908 as a constituent college of the National University, the other two colleges being University College Cork and University College Galway. Newman's Catholic University of Ireland was founded in 1854 and ceased to have any connection with him after he left in 1859. In 1879 the Royal University was established. It was a purely examining body which conferred degrees.
In November 1883 the Catholic University ended as an educational institution and was replaced by the Jesuit University College which (among others) prepared students for the exams of the examining body, The Royal University.
In 1908 a new college was built at Earlsfort Terrace designed by R. M. Butler. This was the University College Dublin, which with the two other colleges in Cork and Dublin constituted the National University of Ireland. In the 1950s the Dublin College was re-sited at Belfield.
Whoever is responsible for disseminating the myth that UCD was founded by Cardinal Newman is surely skating on thin ice, if they seek to reinforce their view by having a Mass celebrated in Newman's beautiful church in Stephen's Green. - Yours, etc.,
ULICK O'CONNOR, Rathgar, Dublin 6.