Sir, - It is always good to see Irish scientific research receiving favourable attention in international publications. Congratulations to Myles Keogh and his team from Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. Their research on the chemistry of holly is featured in the Christmas to New Year edition of New Scientist. The report of this work in The Irish Times Science Today page of December 21st records that New Scientist "first published details of their work". Not so! It was featured, together with 250 other articles describing Irish scientific and technological initiative, in The Irish Scientist 1998 Year Book, published in association with the Forfas Science, Technology and Innovative Awareness Programme at the start of Irish Science Week on October 28th.
If people really want to know about what is happening in science in Ireland, they should read not only The Irish Times (which is pioneering excellent science reporting in the media here), but also The Irish Scientist 1998 Year Book, and earlier editions of this annual publication! - Yours, etc., Charles Mollan,
Editor, The Irish Scientist Year Book, Pine Lawn, Blackrock, Co Dublin.