The board of trustees has failed to make Airfield viable, but it's not too late to save the land, writes Rose Mary Logue.
The Airfield trustees' renewed attempts to sell the Overends' land bring to mind the words of Oliver Cromwell: "You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!"
In 1993, on the death of Naomi Overend, the trustees took charge of 50 acres of fertile land, a large but not pretentious house sited in a wealthy area of south Co Dublin and an equally large portfolio of investments and cash. They now state that "the trust does need to realise a significant capital injection to overcome the ongoing financial crisis facing Airfield". The farm area is reduced to 38 acres and losses are said to be running around €840,000 per annum (before taking into account investment income of €440,000). How could affairs at Airfield have come to this? Log on to Airfield Trust's website, www.airfield.ie, and you get no information about the trustees.
The way in which Airfield has been managed during their tenure gives rise to grave concern among many who remember with affection the Misses Letitia and Naomi Overend and the love they had for the estate.
The sisters enlarged the estate during their lifetime, buying up any land that came up for sale in the locality, increasing the acreage from the original eight their father had purchased. They viewed with jaundiced eyes the onward march of suburban development and sought to keep it at arm's length. They appear to have disposed of only three parcels: a site for the Children's Sunshine Home in Leopardstown in the 1950s; the site for Taney School in 1967; and, in 1969, the house and most of the land at Rockfield. They aimed to protect Rockfield by insisting on a restrictive covenant in the conveyance. They resisted all attempts to get them to sell sites for houses.
Letitia died in 1977 and Naomi in 1993, at which point the trust became active. What has happened since? Among other things, the house's furniture, paintings and library were sold at auction in 1995; seven acres have been lost to what is now the Gannon apartments at Riversdale; the restrictive covenant on Rockfield was lifted by the trustees - the house burned down shortly after and it too is covered in apartment blocks; the house at Riversdale also burned down shortly after it had left the trust's ownership; the Victorian greenhouse was restored at great expense and is again falling down; more land was lost to the construction of the Wyckham bypass extension.
There has been a significant turnover of both trustees and staff, some of whom have left with less than happy memories of the estate.
Not all these events were under the control of the trustees but they give a picture of what has been happening. On the positive side, Airfield is open to the public; there are fine educational programmes and other courses; the land is being farmed; the restaurant seems always full.
In 2003, the trustees first sought Neighbourhood Centre zoning for Dudley's Field and they are doing so again. At that stage, the chairman, John Edmondson, (The Irish Times December 13th, 2003) stated they were running at a loss, which was "not sustainable". However, reference to the Companies Registration Office shows that in the year ending October 31st, 2003, the trust had actually generated a surplus in excess of €850,000 (and in excess of €840,000 in 2002).
Edmondson now states that in again seeking Neighbourhood Centre zoning, it will allow "the possibility of commercial gain without being high rise".
Neighbourhood Centre zoning permits the following: advertisements and advertising structure, bed and breakfast, betting office, car park, enterprise centre, funeral home, garden centre, industry (light), offices, petrol station, public house, public services. It leaves the following open for consideration: cash and carry/wholesale outlet, disco/nightclub, discount food store, heavy vehicle park, hotel/motel, household fuel depot. It places no height restriction on buildings and encompasses the residential zoning which allowed the Gannon apartments. The Overends would not be amused by Neighbourhood Centre zoning.
On their own admission, the trustees have failed to make Airfield viable. Other people can make farms, educational establishments and restaurants pay. Why not them?
We feel the time has come for them to consider resigning their trusteeship so that the estate may pass to those in whom the public would have more confidence. Much thought would have to go into the new structure, so that Airfield would be preserved for its own sake and for the people, as the Overends intended. The Office of Public Works could be the body to give the long-term stability we wish to see.
Rose Mary Logue is a member of the Save Airfield Campaign