THE CATHOLIC diocese of Dublin has asked Dublin City Council to rezone 20 church properties and lands for residential development.Falling numbers of people attending Mass, particularly in the capital, and the ageing profile of priests, means a large number of church properties were now “surplus to requirements”, the diocese has told the council.
In its submission to the council on the new Dublin City Development Plan, which comes into force next year, the St Laurence O’Toole Diocesan Trust, which is the holding body for all diocesan properties in the city, has asked for a major rezoning to allow housing construction on its lands.
The majority of the properties in question are parochial houses and presbyteries, which are generally on the same plots of land as churches and schools.
The diocese is also seeking to have four church car parks rezoned for residential development.
Two churches, the Church of the Holy Trinity, Donaghmede, and the Church of St Benedict, Grange Park View, Dublin 5, have also been earmarked by the diocese for residential zoning.
Some 19 of the zonings sought are residential. One zoning, which allows city-centre mixed-use development, is sought for the presbytery of St James’s Church, which adjoins the Guinness brewery in Dublin 8.
Weekly Mass attendance figures in 1980 were at 85 per cent. A 2009 Red C poll found Mass attendance had slipped to 46 percent.
In its submission, the diocese said it had recently conducted its own survey and while the figures were as yet unprocessed, they suggested even lower numbers were going to Mass each week.
As a result of a fall off in Massgoers and the fact that the more heavily attended Masses took place at the weekend when traffic was lighter, there was less need for specific church car parking, the diocese said.
Numbers of priests are dropping. In 2008 there were 4,752 priests serving in Ireland. By 2028 that number was expected to have fallen to 1,500. The diocese quotes Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin as stating that 46 priests in the diocese were over 80 and just two were under 35.
The declining numbers of priests and their rising age profile resulted in a significant reduction in the need for parochial houses and presbyteries. In addition, more priests were choosing to live in the community instead of beside churches.
“As a result, there are a good many houses and lands within church boundaries that are now surplus to requirements.”
While the submission lists the reasons why the properties are no longer required, it makes no mention of any need for finance which could be met through the sale of churches, houses and lands for residential development.
Church’s plans proposed redevelopments
The parochial houses and presbytries and their grounds earmarked for residential zoning are at:
- Church of Virgin Mary Shangan Road, Ballymun;
- Church of St Joseph the Artisan, Greencastle Road, Dublin 17;
- Church of St Bernadette, Clogher Road, Dublin 12;
- Church of Our Lady of Consolation, Donnycarney;
- Church of St Teresa of the Child Jesus, Donore Avenue, Dublin 8;
- Church of Corpus Christi Home Farm Road, Dublin 9;
- Church of St Canice Main Street Finglas;
- St Kevin’s Church, Harrington Street, Dublin 8;
- Church of Our Lady Help of Christians, Navan Road, Dublin 7;
- Church of St Agatha, 46 North William Street, Dublin 1;
- Church of St Francis of Assisi Priorswood, Dublin 17;
- Church of the Holy Spirit, Ballymun.
- Residential zoning is sought for car parks at:
- Church of St John Vinney, Ardlea Road, Dublin 5;
- Church of Our Lady of Mercy Brookwood Grove, Artane;
- Church of St Paul Ayrfield;
- Church of Our Lady of the Wayside, Bluebell Avenue, Dublin 8.
Under “sundries”, the diocese lists:
- Finian’s Oratory at the Presbytery of Church of St Oliver Plunkett;
- St Helena’s Drive, Dublin 11 for residential development.