Madam, - As president of the Celtic Studies Association of North America, I am writing in support of Prof Donnchadh Ó Corráin's remarks (May 3rd) about the failure of the Dublin universities to fill vacancies that have arisen in chairs dedicated to medieval Irish studies.
It was heartening, of course, to see that UCD advertised its chair of Medieval History on the day before the letter appeared. On the other hand, it is being said that UCC has no early intention of filling its Old-Irish chair, and all of us with an interest in Celtic studies regret that the chair of Welsh at UCD has been vacant for many years.
Irish universities have made an immense contribution to Celtic and medieval Irish Studies, and it will be a huge loss to Ireland and to the rest of the civilised world if the university authorities fail to support the renewal of scholarship and teaching in these vital parts of our cultural heritage. - Yours, etc.,
TOMÁS Ó CATHASAIGH, Henry L. Shattuck Professor of Irish Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.