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Irish Jewish Museum Revives Expansion Plans After Decade-Long Delay

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Irish Jewish Museum is set to undergo a major expansion after submitting an application to Dublin city council to refurbish its premises in Portobello. This new development comes a decade after an initial expansion project stalled due to concerns from a trust that owned a portion of the land. The museum's plan involves demolishing one of the existing houses, No 5 Walworth Road, and replacing it with a larger property. The expansion aims to more than double the size of the museum, providing much-needed space for its collection and preservation of the Jewish people's experience in Ireland.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Irish Jewish Museum has submitted an application to Dublin city council to expand its premises in Portobello, 10 years after a previous project fell apart.
  • The new plan involves demolishing one house, No 5 Walworth Road, and replacing it with a larger property to add 379 sq m of space to the existing 243 sq m museum.
  • The museum wants to upgrade Nos 3 and 4, and No 5 will be demolished to make way for a new building, increasing the size of the museum by over 50%.
  • The expansion aims to provide much-needed space for the collection and preservation of the Jewish people's experience in Ireland.
  • The museum initially planned to extend in 2013, but the project was put on hold due to concerns from local residents about the bulkiness of the new buildings.
  • The 2013 plan included the demolition of all five houses, but An Bord Pleanala approved it with conditions.
  • The trust that owned two of the houses withdrew them from the original plan, leaving the museum with only one house.
  • The museum is now looking to raise funds for the expansion, which is estimated to cost over €10 million, although no exact figure has been disclosed.

Statistics:

  • 490 sq m (243 sq m + 379 sq m): total planned expansion of the museum
  • 10 years: the time elapsed since the initial expansion project stalled
  • 5 houses: the original plan to demolish all houses on the site, including No 5 Walworth Road
  • 2013: the year the initial expansion plan was approved by An Bord Pleanala
  • €10 million: the estimated cost of the 2013 expansion plan
  • 1985: the year the museum opened
  • 1600s-2023: the time period the museum aims to cover in its collection and preservation of the Jewish people's experience in Ireland

Sources:

  • The Irish Times
  • An Bord Pleanala (2013)

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