Calls for temporary swimming pool in Kildare town

An Independent councillor has called for the council to provide a temporary or 'pop-up' swimming pool for Newbridge, Co Kildare, saying it is an “ongoing issue” in the town.

Cllr Tom McDonnell told a recent MD meeting that the problem is not going to be remedied in the near future, so in the interim, a temporary solution such as a 'pop-up' pool is needed.

It was not acceptable, he said to not have a public swimming pool in Newbridge, when there was a population of between 26k-30k people in the town.

He noted a council report stated that provision of a 'pop-up' pool is not in the budget for 2025, but asked if an arrangement could be made with the Department of Defence to make the pool in the Curragh available to the general public.

The people of Newbridge could have access to the pool at particular times of the day, he suggested, with the Curragh Camp facilitating this arrangement.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Chris Pender (SD) said he was aware that Cllr Peggy O'Dwyer (FG) and Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer (FG) had identified a location for a pool in the centre of Newbridge, but said there were a number of other submissions, including one of his own identifying sites elsewhere in the town.

A council official told councillors that gaining access to the swimming pool at the Curragh Camp would be the “ideal” solution, but a pop-up pool in Leixlip in 2023 had cost the town €40,000 to install.

Funding, he said, was the issue.

Cllr Pender said that while writing to the Department of Defence was outside the scope of Cllr McDonnell's motion, previous correspondence could be recirculated to councillors allowing Cllr McDonnell the opportunity to put forward another motion requesting further contact.

In this way, it could be determined if opening the swimming pool in the Curragh to the general public was a feasible option.

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