The Dublin Maccabi Assoication has been uploading some fantastic photos onto their new Facebook page.
Founded as the Carlisle Cricket Club in 1908, they changed their name to the Carlisle Athletic Union before becoming the Dublin Maccabi Association in 1942.
In 1954 they opened a new state of the art sportsground at Kimmage Road West, Dublin 12. At the time it was said that the ground was “only equalled around Dublin by Croke Park, Lansdowne Road, Belfield and College Park.
The ground was in use until 1998. Declining membership of Dublin’s Jewish community was cited as the main reason for the decision to sell.
In March 1960, the first amateur performance in Ireland of “The Diary of Anne Frank” was held at the Club. In April 1963, over a thousand people packed the hall at the sports ground for a service to commemorate the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. The Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Dr. Isaac Cohen, spoke of their heroic sacrifice but warned:
the sacrifices of the thousands who died did not suffice. Today, 20 years afterwards, we must continue our vigilance against the constant menace and threat to the peace and tranquility of mankind
Here are some pictures from the association’s Facebook page:
Dublin Maccabi Soccer Team, 1977
Dublin Maccabi Soccer Team, 1960
Dublin Jewish Boxing Club, 1937/38.
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
For anyone who loves diversity, even the by-choice declines of such minority communities is sad. I’ve a particular interest in the Jewish community of (of all places), Trinidad. Unlike in other spots in the Caribbean such as Jamaica and esp. the Dutch islands, Trinidad’s Jewish community dates almost entirely from the late 1930s. Most families long since moved off, mostly to the US and Canada.
Hi Geoff Ellison and Alan joined the Crumlin Boxing Club after it closed but it wasn’t the same in 1956 it more or less finished as we moved over to play Soccer
Brilliant photo of the boxing club. Noel Browne tells a story in Against The Tide about filling in for a friend for Trinity against the Jewish Boxing Club in South Circular Road. Browne was so horrified by the reaction of his opponents mother after knocking him out that his boxing career came to an abrupt end. Boxing seems to have been a much more popular pastime back then, Blackrock College and other private schools in Dublin seem to have had clubs at various stages. Sadly the jewish Club is long gone but it would be interesting to know if they amalgamated into Crumlin or another local club?
Brilliant. I know a former member – will be forwarding on this.
Hi Sam,
I just found this while doing some research – thank you for the kind mention of our archive in your blog. We have a website in addition to our facebook page: http://www.dublinmaccabi.com
As part of our Gathering Celebrations we have a large reunion of past players and members coming up. Of course we had many notable non-jewish players in the various sports over the years – such as George Hook who was player/coach of the Rugby Section in the mid 70’s.
Dublin Maccabi
Hi Harold. No problems at all. Keep up the great work. Best wishes.
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I am writing an article for Boxing News on line. Trying to get info on Jewish boxers in Ireland in the 20th century. Dublin Boxing club etc.Tough to find. Anybody out there point me in the right direction?
My name is Geoff Ellison I was part of the Jewish Boxing Club which trained at the Adelaide road Synagogue we later moved to Dublin Maccabi Sports ground when it opened in 1953 ,the club was Coached by Jimmie Ingle he was a great coach and person other members of the team was Alan and Trevor Ellison Brian Lewis and David Lewis at time only Brain Lewis who passed away a few years ago and myself went on to represent the Club in the Dublin Leagues. I can be reached at geoffreyellison@hotmail.com if anyone wants to contact me