Sir, - Your correspondent (Southern Report, November 9th) describes as "a good news story" the latest plans for the restoration of Fota House. For anyone familiar with the house's present condition, plans for any restoration are good news of a sort. It would have been better news if that condition had never been allowed to deteriorate so far.
For a decade Cork had on its doorstep a public amenity unsurpassed in the State. This came about because of Richard Wood's commitment to Fota, which went far beyond delivering a van-load of pictures to its door. He created there, and opened to the public, a museum of Irish paintings, decorative arts and craftsmanship of such international stature that it won the European Museum of the Year award in 1984.
The depth of his vision for Fota was acknowledged by UCC earlier this year, when he received an honorary degree. Given the generosity of spirit which attended that event, it would be churlish now to revisit old arguments and reopen old wounds. Nevertheless, one can reasonably ask whether some individuals who may be ready now to share in the credit for this latest rescue plan are ready also to share the responsibility for the dereliction of the house in the nine years since Mr Wood's removal and for the fact that much of the interior, restored with such artistry under his direction, has now rotted and crumbled through neglect.
And one may reasonably ask whether Duchas, however well-intentioned, however well-resourced, can ever restore to Fota House the spirit of life, enthusiasm and grace which subsisted there all too briefly in the 1980s. - Yours, etc.,
Patrick Annesley, Castletownroche, Mallow, Co Cork.