I don’t owe you the courtesy of a reply
Newly released letters reveal row between top academics over NUI’s honorary doctorate for ex-Taoiseach Cowen
TETCHY letters were exchanged between two of Ireland’s most prominent academics in the wake of the controversial decision to award an honorary doctorate to former Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
The letters, between the founding President of the University of Limerick, Dr Ed Walsh, and the Chancellor of the National University of Ireland (NUI) Dr Maurice Manning – which were released to the Irish Mail on Sunday – reveal a series of initially uncomfortable exchanges between the two esteemed academics before they finally praised each other’s stature.
A clearly angered Dr Walsh wrote to Dr Manning on July 27 this year, seeking advice on how to return his honorary doctorate to the NUI following its decision to award the same honour to Mr Cowen.
‘Astonished at the NUI decision to award an honorary doctorate to Brian Cowen. How do I go about returning the one I was granted?’ the handwritten note read.
He received no reply and two days later his letter was published in the Irish Times. Two weeks later, on August 11, he wrote to Dr Manning a second time.
Annoyed by the lack of response, this time he attached his honorary doctorate and requested that the record show that he had returned his award.
On this occasion, the Chancellor, who served as a Fine Gael TD for Dublin North-East from 1982-1987 and a Senator from 1987-2002, did respond.
Dr Manning wrote: ‘Dear Ed, I thank you for your letter received today. And of course I regret but respect your decision.
‘The reason I did not reply to your first letter was largely because I felt since you had gone public on the matter before informing me, I did not owe you the courtesy of a reply. Especially since there was nothing I could say which would after your publicly stated position.
‘In offering you an honorary degree, NUI was publicly recognising your extraordinary contribution to Irish education and public life. That remains our view and especially so in my own case.
‘I thank you for your kind personal words in the Independent.’
However, Dr Walsh was quick to point out in his final letter that he had in fact written to the Chancellor two days before his initial letter was published in the national press.
He wrote: ‘Sorry that you were unaware of my decision to return the NUI honorary doctorate before I went public.
‘In fact, I was most conscious to inform you in advance and wrote to you on July 27, two days before the Irish Times published my letter on July 29.
‘As Chancellor, you were placed in an unenviable position dealing with the public reaction to the NUI decision. Apologies if my decision requested an additional burden on you personally.
‘You had gone public before informing me’ ‘Of course I regret but respect your decision’
‘Over the years, I have admired your outstanding contribution to public and academic life – and continue to do so.’
Contacted by the MoS this week, Ed Walsh said that he did not want to comment further on the issue.
A spokesperson for the NUI said: ‘We have nothing further to add. No action has been taken so far.
‘The matter will be considered at the next meeting of the NUI Senate in November.’