Sir, - I write with reference toan article which was sent to me from your paper of July 5th, entitled "Scholars meet to discuse Catholic University plans". This states that "the Catholic University for Mayo Project emerged after a public meeting in January 1995, prompted by education interests in Ballina. A company was established to raise funds and acquire a site."
The "Catholic University for Mayo Project" was in fact started in November 1993 in Coventry by the Catholic Faith Alive Youth Ministry which runs missions to schools in the UK and Ireland. Initial feasibility studies were carried out by the Centre for Local Economic Development at Coventry University in early 1994, and results of this study were given to prominent lay and church leaders in May/April 1994, Extensive publicity for the project was given in the Catholic press in Ireland and the UK in August 1994, as well as in all the western papers, the Irish nationals and the Times Higher Education Supplement when some of these proposals were made public.
This was followed by an Irish and a world wide campaign, via Irish embassies and diaspora newspapers, to gain further support for the proposals. This resulted in the establishment of friends' groups in England, New Zealand and in Germany. This also drew support from 13 elected Irish representatives.
The results of this campaign were presented to the first Irish public meeting prompted by the project, which was factually recorded as taking place in Ballina in January 1995. An offer of land was made to the project by Ballina UDC, and after more investigative work carried on by the Centre for Local Economic Development in Coventry University which was recounted in the local papers, the project accepted the offer and the local bishop welcomed the project to his diocese. Initial architects drawings, based on the offer of land, were solicited by Faith Alive from a London based Polish architectural consultant in the UK.
The present company was set up without the consent of the promoters of the project, and power and control was effectively transferred to local interests in August 1995. I think it is in the interests of fair reporting that these facts should be noted. Yours, etc.,
Director of Faith Alive, Promoters of "A Catholic
University for Mayo Project",
110 Potters Green Road,
Coventry CV2 2AN.