Pop-Up Pool to arrive in Ballinrobe this September

THE Pop-Up Pool is on its way to Mayo for the first time.

Mayo County Council and Swim Ireland, in partnership with Mayo Sports Partnership and South Mayo Swimming Centre Committee, have announced that the Pop-Up Pool will arrive in Ballinrobe this September for a minimum of 12 months.

Located on Convent Road, between St Joseph’s NS and Ballinrobe Community School, this modern, fully functioning 12-metre by 3.4-metre steel pool is heated to 30 degrees, and can be enjoyed by swimmers of all ages and abilities.

The Pop-Up Pool has visited towns around Ireland as part of the National Swimming Strategy.

The pool will be delivered in the next few months and set up in a matter of weeks, ready for an opening in September 2025 and will be kept on site for as long as possible. Plans for a permanent swimming pool in Ballinrobe are currently at an early stage.

Tom Gilligan, Director of Services for the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District, welcomed the project, saying that ‘the experience of hosting the Pop-Up Pool will offer valuable insights to help guide the development of future amenities in the district’.

Dymphna Culhane, Principal of St Joseph’s NS in Ballinrobe, said having the Pop-Up Pool on their doorstep would save them 25 kilometres of travel for swimming lessons.

“It will also make lessons more accessible for many local families,” she said.

^{Students of St Joseph's NS at the launch of the Pop-Up Pool in Ballinrobe}

This community-led venture was listed as a priority in the Ballinrobe Community Futures action plan 2023-2028. Frank Keane, Chairperson of Ballinrobe Community Development Council, welcomed the announcement of the Pop-Up Pool.

“We are delighted to see that Community Futures is having an influence on the development of Ballinrobe. The swimming pool project could have a generational impact, bringing enormous social and economic benefits and helping to make this an attractive area for employers, businesses, families and tourism,” said Mr Keane.

“We would like to thank everyone who has helped get this project off the ground, we have had tremendous support all along the way from our local councillors, Michael Burke, Patsy O’Brien and Damien Ryan, the members of the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District, Ministers Dara Calleary and Alan Dillon, Tom Gilligan, Director of Director of Services for the Claremorris -Swinford Municipal District, and the Ballinrobe community.”

Local county councillor Michael Burke said he hoped the Pop-Up Pool project would lead to the construction of a permanent pool in the town in the coming years.

Charlie Lambert, Head of the Mayo Sports Partnership, said that the Ballinrobe Community Sportshub, which is supported by Mayo Sports Partnership and Tacú Family Resource Centre, “has had a hugely beneficial and positive impact locally in the seven years it has been operating, and it’s good to see this continuing with this project.”

Mark Smith, Ballinrobe Community Sportshub Coordinator and Secretary of South Mayo Swimming Centre Committee, invited anyone interested to get involved in the project.

“We are ready to talk to interested groups and organisations, schools, businesses and the whole community about bookings for the pool, events and sponsorship opportunities. The greater the success of the Pop-Up Pool, the greater the chance of a swimming pool becoming a permanent addition to the area,” said Mr Smith.

The South Mayo Swimming Centre Committee can be contacted on southmayoswimmingcentre@gmail.com.

Swim Ireland CEO, Sarah Keane said the Pop-Up Pool provides ‘a fantastic opportunity to teach children and adults in the area to swim’.

“We look forward to welcoming the people of Ballinrobe and the surrounding areas, of all ages and abilities, to experience the pool and take advantage of the opportunities available,” she said.