£4m land sale to fund Jews' needs

The declining membership of Dublin's Jewish community was among the reasons for a decision earlier this year to sell sports grounds in Dublin used by the community since the 1950s, the High Court heard yesterday.

Mr Justice O'Neill approved a proposal by the Dublin Maccabi Association to use the £4 million plus proceeds of the sale of the Carlisle Ground, Captains Lane, Crumlin, to help foster the educational, intellectual, artistic and sporting abilities of members of the Jewish faith, particularly younger members, who are Irish citizens.

The monies will help fund the award of grants, exhibitions, bursaries or maintenance allowances tenable at any school or other educational establishment approved by the trustees of the association. Funds will also be made available to persons who wish to travel in Ireland or abroad in order to further their educational and other abilities.

The approval for the scheme was sought by Mr James Dwyer SC, for the trustees of the association. In an affidavit, Mr Stephen Molins, of Kilabbey, Kill-o-the-Grange, Co Dublin, who is its chairman, said it was established in around 1948 to promote sportsmanship and solidarity among Jewish youth. In order to do that, it held from Dublin Corporation a deed of lease, dated from June 16th, 1954, relating to the Carlisle Ground.

In recent years, the membership had fallen into decline due to the continual contraction of the Jewish community in Dublin, particularly since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Mr Molins said. When the original lease was granted in 1954, the active membership of the association was 1,000. That figure had fallen to 750 in 1970 and to 300 in 1989. The present membership was 100.

It had been agreed the best option was to sell the lands in Crumlin and use the monies for the general benefit of the Jewish community in Ireland, he said. The lands, extending more than eight acres, were sold by tender for £4.13 million.