Dear Editor,
It’s with a sense of discouragement that I read Orla O’Donovan’s recent “What’s up with the dude wall?” article, published on September 23rd. In the piece, she criticises the tradition in Irish educational institutions of honouring previous university presidents through portrait displays, almost exclusively of men. She views this as a manifest representation of class privilege, male dominance, and the country’s colonial history.
O’Donovan’s recommendation is that these portrayals should be transferred from their prime positions within universities to the establishment’s heritage repositories. She specifically directs her attention to a ‘dude wall’ at her alma mater, University College Cork (UCC), featuring portraits of past male presidents. I am quite conversant with this wall in UCC’s Aula Maxima.
However, I find it difficult to align myself with the perspective of assessing history through the lens of modern ethos and meting out repercussions to the current generation for perceived wrongs committed by their ancestors, as judged by current standards. By this logic, individuals today are held accountable for their ancestor’s deeds, an idea I find fundamentally flawed. This viewpoint, as disseminated by O’Donovan, fails to understand the fundamental reality that humankind has evolved over time. We did not rise above the animal realm fully equipped with advanced concepts of human rights, equality or gender balance. These ideas gradually developed and gained acceptance over time. The most we can hope for is progress, something that humans have been steadily accomplishing. In this regard, it is poignant to note that more than half of the presidents of the 12 Irish universities today are women.
By and large, we cannot, and should not, pass harsh judgements on much of history. There are, of course, certain exceptions such as the African slave trade to the New World which was largely orchestrated by so-called Christian Europeans. However, it’s worth noting that it was also these Europeans who eventually abolished the enslavement trade.
Is it time to consider purchasing a new home? Hint: you might not find suitable advice from your politicians.
Certainly, it’s imperative that we work relentlessly towards eradicating prejudice and promoting justice. However, it might be equally crucial to comprehend our past as it is to forge our future route. Kind regards,
WILLIAM REVILLE,
Professor Emeritus,
University College Cork.