Save City Quay Church - Dublin Diocese, Return The €2 Million Given By Developers
Save City Quay Church - Dublin Diocese, Return The €2 Million Given By Developers
The Issue
City Quay Church - The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is in poor state of repair and deteriorating before our eyes. Our Church, a haven in our community where six generations have prayed, received the sacraments and buried loved ones, will be 160 years old next year.
In 2018 following the Community, Parishioner and School’s objections and the protests to the disturbance, infringement and the blocking of natural light from the 8 storey building next door, a settlement was reached with the developer where they would undertake certain work and pay €3.5 Million. The first phase of the project was completed in 2019 with high quality finishes in the church courtyard; this work was negotiated by Parish representatives.
After lawyer’s fees and monies paid for the upgrading of City Quay National School were disbursed, there was approximately €2 Million Euro available for necessary work on the interior of the Church and a planning application was made by an experienced and highly qualified design team.
Planning permission was granted in November 2020 for the limited renovation works and a qualified contractor was appointed following a competitive process. The Dublin Diocese and their representatives were at all times appraised. However, following final permission being granted by Dublin City Council, the then Archbishop of Dublin intervened and sought to stop the work at the 11th hour!
More recently and of particular concern the current Archbishop demanded that the Parish hand over the €2 Million Euro. Fr. Walsh, the priest based in our Parish for the last 9 years who is imminently retiring, transferred the Parish’s monies under duress to the Archbishop.
Letters written to the Archbishop on behalf of the Parish seeking a meeting to progress the badly needed works have been met with nothing more than obfuscation by the Archbishop himself.
Archbishop Farrell needs to know that THIS IS OUR CHURCH, a church that has been maintained and funded by our community for generations.
The Parish funds must now be released to enable the parish to immediately progress the badly needed Dublin County Council approved restoration.
1,004
The Issue
City Quay Church - The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is in poor state of repair and deteriorating before our eyes. Our Church, a haven in our community where six generations have prayed, received the sacraments and buried loved ones, will be 160 years old next year.
In 2018 following the Community, Parishioner and School’s objections and the protests to the disturbance, infringement and the blocking of natural light from the 8 storey building next door, a settlement was reached with the developer where they would undertake certain work and pay €3.5 Million. The first phase of the project was completed in 2019 with high quality finishes in the church courtyard; this work was negotiated by Parish representatives.
After lawyer’s fees and monies paid for the upgrading of City Quay National School were disbursed, there was approximately €2 Million Euro available for necessary work on the interior of the Church and a planning application was made by an experienced and highly qualified design team.
Planning permission was granted in November 2020 for the limited renovation works and a qualified contractor was appointed following a competitive process. The Dublin Diocese and their representatives were at all times appraised. However, following final permission being granted by Dublin City Council, the then Archbishop of Dublin intervened and sought to stop the work at the 11th hour!
More recently and of particular concern the current Archbishop demanded that the Parish hand over the €2 Million Euro. Fr. Walsh, the priest based in our Parish for the last 9 years who is imminently retiring, transferred the Parish’s monies under duress to the Archbishop.
Letters written to the Archbishop on behalf of the Parish seeking a meeting to progress the badly needed works have been met with nothing more than obfuscation by the Archbishop himself.
Archbishop Farrell needs to know that THIS IS OUR CHURCH, a church that has been maintained and funded by our community for generations.
The Parish funds must now be released to enable the parish to immediately progress the badly needed Dublin County Council approved restoration.
1,004
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Petition created on 14 June 2023