The beauties of Belfast
Sir: In my article on the architecture of Belfast (21 May) I much regret that the large cuts which had to be made omitted all mentions of both the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, for both admirable bodies — one private, one official — have played a vital role in preserving and creating the present character of the city.
I must also correct the statement that Dublin is 'an English city'. What I original- ly wrote about the place was that 'any com- ment made by me, an Englishman, will be counterproductive. To praise the beauties of that now gravely threatened city is to confirm the Irishman's conviction that Dublin is just a product of the Anglo-Irish Protestant ascendancy and is, therefore, ex- pendable,' and I went on to argue how sad it is that, for political reasons, in Dublin but not in Belfast people cannot come to terms with their architectural past. I admire both cities, but Belfast, alas, continues to have a bad press.
Gavin Stamp I St Chad's Street, Argyle Square, London WCI
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