Protestors march for re-opening of baths

Protestors in Dun Laoghaire will march this Sunday calling for the re-opening of Dun Laoghaire and Blackrock sea baths. The protest is also aimed at opposing any future plans to privatise the baths.

Both sea baths have been closed for a number of years and have fallen into a state of neglect.

The organisers of Sunday’s protest believe that the baths were allowed to deteriorate by Rathdown County Council to pave the way for selling them to private developers.

There has been a major public outcry about the neglect of the baths and thousands have signed petitions opposing any plans to sell them.

In the recently published draft coastal development plan the council have conceded that the baths must be retained as an amenity. They have also ruled out any residential development on the sites.

Baths campaigners believe this is a result of the public protests over the issue. But the council have left open the possibility of privatising the baths under so-called public-private partnership.

Richard Boyd Barrett, a local representative of the Socialist Workers Party and one of the organisers of the campaign:

"The baths are loved by the people of the area because they have always have been a peoples baths. Minimal admission costs meant that the baths were accessible to all.

"Generations of people from the area have learnt to swim in the baths. If big commercial interests are involved in running the baths it will mean making profits will become the overriding concern.

"This will lead to an exclusive development with high admission costs that exclude many ordinary people. We have had enough exclusive developments in this area. We need facilities for the public."

The march will begin at 2pm at the entrance to the People’s Park.