Council to consider future of local pool

Kerry County Council is to decide shortly whether to take over the running of a pool and leisure centre which it underwrote to the tune of €4m.

The council had backed the Ballybunion centre in 2005 while former arts, sports, and tourism minister John O’Donoghue was in office. The project also had the full backing of current arts minister and local TD, Jimmy Deenihan.

The centre, which has more than 400 members and employs 12 people, closed in April because it could no longer pay its electricity bill. The 20m swimming pool and centre was being run by a local development company.