The final Cork Hebrew Congregation service at the weekend was an emotional affair for Fred Rosehill, who has chaired the tiny Irish community for most of his 88 years.

Saying goodbye to the South Terrace shul had been "horrible", he confided. "I had my barmitzvah and my second barmitzvah and my son's and grandson's barmitzvahs here.

"I feel very sad, very alone and very worried about the future. I want to say my prayers but I have nowhere to say them.

"There are very few choices. I either get a train to Dublin, which is three or four hours, and arrange accommodation there, or take a plane to London, where some of my family live, which is a big operation to say minchah. We're not like Sheffield or Liverpool where you can drive to a shul 20 or 30 miles away."

Moving was not an option. "I never want to leave Cork. I went to Israel three times last year with the intention of making aliyah, but I'm an old guy who can't speak Hebrew. By myself, at my age, it's too late to go."

I want to say my prayers but I have nowhere to say them

In its pre-war heyday, the community exceeded 400.

Although the farewell attracted a turnout of 90, recent monthly Friday-night services have been attended by just four people.

"We needed practising Jews, but when people found out there was no kashrut, no cheder and no rabbi to teach their children here, they didn't want to come," Mr Rosehill said.

A friend of Mr Rosehill, Northern Ireland Friends of Israel co-chair Steven Jaffe, said the closure was "a sad day for Irish Jews all over the world.

"It was a tiny community with a strong identity which produced some outstanding figures, including prominent United Synagogue rabbi Eddie Jackson and the first Jewish mayor of Cork, Gerald Goldberg.

"It had a massive impact on the British Jewish community - and on Cork itself.

"Freddie kept the synagogue going for as long as he could and did tremendous work to ensure that the cemetery will be safeguarded into the future." The synagogue had also been a valuable resource for teaching schoolchildren about Judaism.

"There's a sense of loss coming from wider Irish society and a lot of the comments from non-Jews saying that it was sad for the city that this aspect of diversity - and a Jewish presence stretching back over a century - has ended."

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis - a former Irish Chief Rabbi - retains fond memories of Cork. "They say of Ireland that her greatest export is her people and that is certainly true of the Jewish community of Cork who are now spread out all over the world," he said.

"In particular, I recall the tireless efforts of Fred Rosehill, who over so many years gave so selflessly of his time to keep the community alive."