Madam, - I support the plea for the continued occupation by Poetry Ireland of their one-roomed office space in Dublin Castle.
To displace the dedicated staff of Poetry Ireland seems counter productive and out of proportion with the value to the EU Presidency of this small space. Given that Poetry Ireland's grant from the Arts Council has been cut by a quarter, it will certainly be shackled in the search for affordable alternative space.
The distinction that Irish poetry holds in international literature is unique, embellished as it is by three Nobel prize winners in this century - Yeats, Beckett and Heaney. Irish poetry is one of the country's most respected cultural exports, and draws countless students, academics, and tourists to Ireland. It is alive and flourishing as in no other European country, not the least witness being the demand for, and circulation of the quarterly Poetry Ireland Review worldwide. - Yours, etc.,
SHEILA O'HAGAN,
St Stephen's green,
Dublin 2.