Boland to head Trinity College

by John Horgan FOR the first time in history, a Catholic has been appointed Chancellor. of the University of Dublin, where the bishops forbid the faithful to study without episcopal approval.
The new Chancellor, who received "a majority of the lawful votes" cast by the Senate of the University, is Mr. Frederick H. Boland, Ireland's permanent representative to the United Nations.
His election represents a notable break with tradition, for Trinity College, the only constituent college of I h e University of Dublin, was originally established in the the 16th century as an Anglican place of learning.
Catholics may not attend its courses even now without permission from Archbishop McQuaid of Dublin.
While Mr. Boland's election has been welcomed by all sections of the community, it has also given rise to fresh questioning in Dublin about the nature of what has been described as the "ban" on Catholic undergraduates attending Trinity College.
There are several hundred Catholic students at Trinity College at the moment, many of them from England. They have their own society, the Laurentian. but their requests for a Catholic chaplain have not yet been granted by religious authorities.
The university itself. it is understood, would have little abjection to the appointment by the Hierarchy of a chaplain to cater for the welfare of Catholic students at the College.
Mr. Boland's election may well be an indication that some of the age-old divisions are healing. certainly as far as the laity arl.l many of the clergy are concerned. A new and fruitful dialogue is already being initiated between Trinity College and University College, Durbin. on both staff and student levels.