Several Dublin city councillors yesterday said they would resist efforts by developers to build apartments on publicly-owned land leased by Clontarf Golf Club.
At a heated meeting of the council's north central area committee, councillors also questioned why the club was ever granted a 99-year lease on the land.
The club's long lease was signed by the council in 1991, the meeting was told.
Last month, the club's 670 members voted to accept a developer's offer to buy the 77-acre course for €125 million, and pay a €100,000 bonus to all members and a €20 million lump sum to the club.
But the land is owned by Dublin City Council, and the council's permission would be needed to rezone the land to allow building on the site. Several councillors yesterday expressed strong disapproval of the scheme.
"I can definitely say I would never vote for the rezoning of an amenity so close to the city," said Fianna Fáil's Seán Paul Mahon.
Deirdre Heney, also from Fianna Fáil, said her constituents were opposed to any rezoning. She questioned "why did we give such a long lease to this piece of property belonging to the people of the city of Dublin?"
But Fine Gael's Gerry Breen said the council should not rush to reject the proposal. There were two other golf clubs just as close to the city, he said, and there was a possibility that a deal could be struck giving a third of the land back to Dublin residents, as well as a cash windfall for the council. "I think we should be looking at it from a planning point of view," he said. Cllr Breen's was a lone voice, however.
Chair of yesterday's meeting, Bronwen Maher of the Green Party, said she would oppose rezoning. Sinn Féin's Larry O'Toole said: "This is one of the most important green spaces on the north side of the city . . . it would be a terrible thing to do with the stroke of a pen to actually line the pockets of a very select group of people, apart from whatever environmental damage we would be doing to the north side of the city."
The meeting was told that representatives of Lisney's had contacted the council on behalf of the developers, to discuss the possible sale. Assistant city manager Michael Stubbs told councillors that the club's lease was granted on the condition that the land could not be used for any other purpose than golf.