College authorities fought opposition to UCC status

ATTEMPTS by the Government to thwart University College Cork’s ambitions to be a full university in more than just name led to a vigorous campaign of opposition by the college authorities.

In particular, they took exception to remarks in the Dáil by Garret FitzGerald in February 1975 in which he backed plans for the merger of Cork with University College Galway and dismissed opinion to the contrary as the views of interest groups.

In a strongly worded response to Dr FitzGerald, a co-ordinating committee at the college pointed out the merger plan was a direct reversal of a 1968 Government decision that there would be full universities in both Cork and Galway.