Talks between Swim Ireland and council on Bandon pop-up pool

Children 'distinctly disadvantaged' by lack of municipal facility

Children in the Bandon area have been put at a distinct disadvantage due to the lack of a pool, said Fianna Fáil councillor Gillian Coughlan. File picture: Ben Brady/Inpho

Cork County Council is to enter talks with Swim Ireland in the hope of creating Co Cork's first pop-up swimming pool in Bandon.

Members of the Bandon/Kinsale municipal district council and its officials are to take the plunge following a motion put before the local authority meeting by Fianna Fáil councillor Gillian Coughlan.

She said there is a large cohort of children in the Bandon area who were unable to take swimming lessons during the two years of Covid-19 restrictions. As there is no municipally-owned pool there, they have been put at a distinct disadvantage.

Ms Coughlan said she is concerned for the safety of such children. She said:

It’s heartbreaking year in and out hearing about young people losing their lives in drowning accidents.

She said that the local community is fully backing the pop-up pool proposal.

Ms Coughlan said that while there is a state-of-the-art municipal pool in Dunmanway, she maintained it does not have the capacity to deal with swimming lessons for young people from the Bandon area.

“At present there's a very successful pop-up pool in Blessington [Co Wicklow]. We want to host one,” she said.

Fine Gael councillor John O’Sullivan said: “This is a short-term solution, but would give an indication of the level of interest for a permanent swimming pool in Bandon."

Fine Gael councillor Marie O’Sullivan said the council should also explore the possibility of creating safe swimming areas in the river flowing through Bandon, which officials said they would look into as well.

Council officials agreed that an online presentation should be given by Swim Ireland on the subject to the municipal district’s local politicians and officials.