Ring puts 50m Castlebar pool arguments ‘to bed’

Anton McNulty

AN OLYMPIC-sized swimming pool for Castlebar was never viable, according to the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, adding that the new 25-metre pool would not have been given the green light without the Taoiseach’s support.
Minister Michael Ring used his presentation to Mayo County Council to ‘put to bed once and for all’ suggestions that Castlebar should have been given a 50-metre swimming pool instead of the smaller 25-metre amenity.
The operation of Ireland’s two 50-metre Olympic size swimming pools (in Dublin and Limerick) is State subsided, according to Minister Ring.

50-metre pool ‘too costly’
“I want to put [this] to bed once and for all, because I am sick of reading about a 50-metre pool and should have done this sooner. There is no way we could afford a 50-metre pool [in Castlebar],” he said.
The issue was raised at last week’s monthly meeting of Mayo County Council, by both Cllr Michael Kilcoyne and Cllr Blackie Gavin. The two Castlebar-based councillors said they were disappointed when proposals by councillors to apply to build a 50-metre pool was rejected – something Cllr Kilcoyne said would not be forgotten.
The new 25-metre pool is to be built in the new €12.5 million Sports Academy planned for Lough Lannagh in Castlebar. A 50-metre was first proposed in 2012 by four members of the old Castlebar Town Council, including Cllrs Kilcoyne and Gavin.
Two separate votes
The proposal was defeated by one vote with Sinn Féin councillor Thérèse Ruane joining the Fine Gael councillors in voting against it. She said at the time she feared it would become a ‘white elephant’.
A second subsequent vote in the new Castlebar Municipal District was also defeated.
At last week’s meeting, Cllr Blackie Gavin said he visited the 50-metre pool in the University of Limerick and claimed people from all over the world were coming to it. A similar-sized pool in Castlebar would fill up all the B&Bs in the town and the surrounding area, he argued.
Minister Ring refuted this, pointing out that the Limerick pool was €300,000 in state subsidies every year. He said the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin was also in serious financial difficulty and would struggle without state help.
“I believe in grass-roots sports. Look after your 25-metre pool and make sure that the people of Castlebar and the surrounding areas use it … If we have high-performance athletes they will get funding and go to Dublin or Limerick,” he concluded.