photo: UCD.ie The UCD U-turn on sending a representative to St John Henry Newman’s canonisation wasn’t based on the Government’s last minute decision to send someone, but to avoid an “insurrection” by past and present academics of the university according to an Irish magazine.
With the “more senior, elder academics mobilising, the scene was set for academic bloodshed” according to the article in the November 1 edition of The Phoenix magazine.
Ireland’s largest university was left red-faced last month after they received huge amounts of criticism for deciding not to send an official representative to the canonisation of their founder on October 13 in Rome.
They reneged on their initial decision after it was announced Minister of Education Joe McHugh would be attending as a State representative. The Government also dragged their feet on declaring a representative.
Decision
The Phoenix notes former UCD registrar Prof. John Kelly was one of the first eminent alumnus to criticise the decision, followed by former president Paddy Masterson – a St John Henry admirer.
They say it was NUI chancellor Maurice Manning who tackled current UCD president Andrew Deeks, saying the boycott would please very few but anger a great many.
Mr Deeks “seized” the opportunity to follow the Government’s U-turn as it was a better justification than admitting they folded to growing criticism, the magazine says, adding: “Deeks has been damaged by his initial decision and there is much muttering among the ‘superior’ UCD classicists about the ‘Australian engineer’.
“This ‘outsider’s’ appreciation of Irish history and culture, they charge, was shown up by his disregard for Cardinal (now St John Henry) Newman, who did, after all, found their college.”