FULL responsibility for the mistakes discovered in Glasgow's new #3m

museum of religious life and art has been accepted by the man is charge

of the project, Mr Mark O'Neill.

''I take the blame. I'm embarrassed and upset,'' Mr O'Neill said

yesterday after the museum's shortcomings had been rigorously exposed by

the Rt Rev. Hugh Wylie, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church

of Scotland.

Civic leaders were themselves accutely embarrassed when the Moderator

used the occasion of a civic lunch on Tuesday to deliver an impassioned

critique of the St Mungo museum and guide book, complaining of

historical errors of fact and an unfortunate emphasis on the conflicts

that had riven the Christian communities in the past.

Mr O'Neill yesterday said he had had only two years to set up ''a new

national museum''. He believed between five and 10 years was the norm

for an exhibition of such scale.

He used only one academic consultant for the project -- Professor

Ninian Smart, the Glasgow-born professor of comparative religion at the

University of California.

Mr O'Neill said: ''He is probably the single most eminent scholar of

comparative religion in the world. He's the leader in that field.

''Obviously, we should have had someone with more in-depth knowlege of

Scottish history as well, but we thought that with him and our in-house

knowledge, it would have been enough. That's where the inadequate

preparation lay.''

He now plans to ask local historians and clerics to review the gallery

completely for factual errors and then make immediate corrections. An

errata slip is to be included in the guidebook which will be completely

rewritten in its second edition.

Perhaps the most glaring mistake was to describe the monarch as head

of the Church of Scotland, whereas presbyterians insist that only Christ

can claim that title.

How could such an error be made? ''It was fatigue,'' he said. ''That's

not an excuse. That's an explanation. I'm not trying avoid blame for

getting it wrong.''

Mr O'Neill was anticipating an angry telephone call from one of his

political masters but by late yesterday afternoon it had not come.

In his soft Irish accent, Mr O'Neill said: ''I'm not sure whether I'm

being frozen out. I think the council will accept that the mistakes made

were honest mistakes and that there was no malice involved.

''My impression is that the politicians are very pleased with the

museum. Once we've ironed out these little difficulties, the museum will

be a major asset to the city, and I think they know that.''