Sir, Kevin Myers's piece (June 1st) does less than full justice to Mr Haughey's many accomplishments. The greatest unsung achievement of the former Taoiseach and patron of the arts was his reversal of a yahoo political decision to abolish the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. At the time crimes were being committed indiscriminately in the name of financial rectitude in some cases babies were being thrown out with the bath water. Charlie Haughey alone politically held the fort in the national interest.
De Valera founded the Institute in 1940. Ironically it has received more acclaim abroad than at home. The Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey, is an appreciative sister research institute. It deeply appreciated the important role the Dublin institute played in providing a refuge to scientists fleeing from the European tyrannies during the second World War. Presently Princeton greatly respects the Dublin Institute's continuing excellence, as does the worldwide academic community. In 1968 Eamon de Valera was made a Fellow of the Royal Society for his conspicuous contribution to science in founding it. To his great credit Charlie Haughey recognised this when myopic cost counting accountants typically, detrimentally, failed to appreciate true values.
If our present magnificent President chooses to answer a higher humanitarian call from the United Nations, Mr Charles J. Haughey would be a worthy choice as her successor. Yours, etc., Cedarmount Road, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin.