Youghal gets approval for €8m leisure centre

PEOPLE living in Youghal, Co Cork were last night celebrating the news that after a 25-year fight they are to get a €8 million leisure centre.

The Government yesterday announced that it had approved contract documents submitted by the local town council and had given it approval to seek tenders for the leisure centre which will be built on a three acre site at Claycastle.

When completed the facility will be equipped with a 25 metre-long pool, a smaller children’s pool, changing rooms, gymnasium, aerobics studio, stream room and sauna.

The announcement was made by local TD and Minister for Trade & Commerce, Michael Ahern, who said the Government was allocating €3.8 million towards the total cost. The remainder of the money will be paid by Youghal Town Council and Cork County Council.

“The swimming pool will cater for the needs of both local people and tourists visiting the town,” Minister Ahern said.

Local town council chairman Mary Linehan-Foley said she was thrilled at the news.

“It’s a service we have been waiting for years for,” she said.

Town clerk Liam Ryan said thousands of children in East Cork had no municipal pool to go to. The nearest public pools to Youghal are over 30 miles away in Cork City or Fermoy.

“Children in Youghal have to be bused to these pools. We have three primary schools in the town and a new community school is to be built next year, at a cost of €12 million, which will have capacity for 1,000 children. It’s obvious that we need such a facility. It’s long overdue, but nevertheless we’re absolutely delighted,” Mr Ryan said.

He said he hoped building would start before the end of this year and that the leisure centre would be opened to the public by June 2004.

Mr Ryan added that while Youghal had beautiful beaches, the indoor leisure centre would prove a huge attraction not just to the people of East Cork but the thousands of tourists who visit the town every year.