'The buzz is fantastic': Cork people hit the treadmills to shake off 5 months of cobwebs

Gym members across Cork didn't take long to get back to it as doors opened across the country for the first time in more than five months.

The repeated clinking of metal, grunts of determination as the treadmills whirred, and the splashing sounds of water interspersed with glorious squeals of delighted children.

It could mean only one thing - around Cork, the reopening of gyms and leisure centres felt like a bank holiday gift from the heavens.

For members of establishments like District Health and Leisure in Silversprings, the agonising wait of more than five months was finally over. A special bond between members and staff has built up since it opened in 2019, but at the fourth time of asking, this reopening felt like a family reunion.

Ice creams, balloons, and other goodies awaited members who came in their hundreds since 6am. The strict health and safety measures in place did not deflate anyone's enthusiasm, especially the children who begged their parents to hurry up through the corridors to the changing rooms, knowing the pool was just a few tantalising metres away.

Trainers like Liam O'Connor nimbly moved between banter, cajoling, and encouragement, as members tried to shake off the cobwebs of five months of inactivity, while Sandra Gonzalez at reception, a candidate for Cork's friendliest woman, was surely on the way to breaking a record for the most conversations ever had in one day as she caught up with dozens of goings on since she had last seen members.

Complex manager Mairéad O'Donovan told the Irish Examiner: "This was the fourth time we had to reopen, and definitely the most excited that people have been. 

The buzz is fantastic. We're hoping this is the last one, because we can build on what we have. 

"As hard as the past five months were, it has made the reopening much more special."

A few kilometres down the road at Penrose Dock, the burgeoning Dennehy's chain welcomed members for the first time to sample its fourth gym in Cork.

For entrepreneur Luke Dennehy, it was the sweet road to redemption, as Covid-19 exacerbated an already perilous run of bad luck.

Former Miss Ireland, Aoife O'Sullivan, gets a preview of Dennehy's gym at Penrose Dock by owner, Luke Dennehy. Photo: Brian Lougheed

With one of the gyms forced to close after the serious fire at Douglas Village Shopping Centre in August 2019, plans to open Penrose Dock were then stalled due to Covid-19. 

Now, it is all forward-looking with high hopes, he said, as all four gyms were open on the same day for the first time.

"We are very excited to open our fourth location in Cork city centre. Penrose Dock, which was developed by JCD Groups, is a new 250,000 sq ft office development and we are really looking forward to getting to know all the companies and their employees. 

"We are very happy with our fit-out which includes a spacious gym floor, tiered indoor cycling studio, group class studio, onsite physio and spa-standard changing rooms. 

(Left to right) Former Miss Ireland, Aoife O'Sullivan from Cork, proprietor Luke Dennehy and Niamh Morgan, Officer Manager at JCG Group at the new Dennehy's Health & Fitness gym in Penrose Dock, Cork. Photo: Brian Lougheed

"It's been a turbulent couple of years with the closure of Douglas due to fire, and of course the global pandemic which followed it, but we are happy and hopeful that we are out the other side now. 

"With the unique offering of four gyms to use for the price of one membership, I think our members will enjoy the variety," he said.