The Christian Brothers hope to make close to €3 million from the sale of three of its residences in Dublin, writes JACK FAGAN
THE Christian Brothers are to sell three Dublin buildings as they continue to phase out their involvement in primary and secondary schools.
The best located building going for sale by private treaty is adjacent to St Andrew’s Church on Westland Row, Dublin 2. It is expected to make in excess of €1.25 million.
The largest of the three buildings, to be vacated shortly by the brothers, is on the same site as Drimnagh Castle primary and secondary schools.
Robert McNamara of estate agents Bannon, who is handling the sales for the religious order, is seeking offers over €1 million for the three-storey monastery on the Long Mile Road, Dublin 12, which was completed in 1954.
The third residence, which is expected to fetch over €675,000, is located at Finglas Road, directly opposite Glasnevin Cemetery, in Dublion 11.
The Christian Brothers have transferred the ownership of 97 primary and secondary schools throughout the country to The Edmund Rice Schools Trust which was set up in 2008. Its chairman is the High Court judge, Mr Justice Peter Kelly.
The order had several thousand members at its height but is now down to 235 brothers, most of whom are aged over 70. Two of the brothers died last weekend. The order has about 20 houses in the Dublin area where only a small number of brothers continue to teach in the schools.
The building on Westland Row is a neo-classical, three-storey over basement double-fronted building with a floor area of 642sq m (6,910sq ft). The house was built in 1868, four years before the brothers set up a new parish school behind the church on Westland Row. The secondary school continues to operate from this site.
The building is likely to be of more than passing interest to Trinity College, which has developed student accommodation on the same side of Westland Row.
The college also owns all but one building (a pub) on the opposite side of Westland Row as well as the entire frontage on Pearse Street.
TCD is easily the largest owner of property in the city centre – the campus alone extends to almost 60 acres – and in recent years has acquired buildings on College Green, D’Olier Street and Nassau Street.
It is currenly completing a substantial office development, Trinity Central, on Pearse Street in a joint venture with PJ Walls.
The monastery on Long Mile Road adjoins Drimnagh Castle, which dates back to the 13th century and is the last castle in Ireland with a functioning moat fed by the River Poddle.
The building is currently used by FAS as a training centre. The adjoining three-storey monastery has a floor area of 1,113sq m (almost 12,000sq ft) and at its peak was home to 25 brothers who taught in the primary and secondary schools.
The building includes a double height room which is currenly used as a chapel.
The monastery stands on a site of 1.124 acres which could be turned into a surface car park if planning permission is obtained.
Bannon say it could be used for a broad range of services including health, welfare, community centre, education, medical, place of public workship or residential.
The Glasnevin residence, known as Clareville, was originally built as a home for the general manager of the cemetery. It has a floor area of 408sq m (4,400sq ft) and stands on a site of almost half an acre.
Much of the Finglas Road opposite the cemetery is now in commercial use including two petrol filling stations. Clareville may also end up with commercial facilities.
