Sir, – I agree with the views of your correspondent Frank McDonald (Rite & Reason, October 24th) on the abandoned proposal to erect a new Roman Catholic cathedral in Merrion Square in Dublin. Mr McDonald states that "mercifully nothing ever came of it".
The whole saga surrounding this story is dealt with by John Cooney in his monumental biography of John Charles McQuaid. The site beside Government Buildings had been acquired by the Church in 1930 with the support of the Cosgrave government. By the time Archbishop McQuaid was ready to commence the project in the 1940s, Dublin Corporation expressed certain reservations.
However, as Mr Cooney’s research has revealed, the project was derailed by the opposition of the then taoiseach Éamon de Valera. Indeed it led to a serious row between the two titanic figures and Mrs de Valera had to intervene to bring them together. It was one of the rare occasions when a politician faced down the princely prelate.
As to why Dev opposed the project I am not sure but in any event McQuaid in later life lost interest in the hairbrained scheme as well.
– Yours, etc,
Fr IGGY O’DONOVAN
O’Connell Street,
Limerick.