Swim Ireland Pop-Up Pool Arrives in Blessington
First Ever Municipal Swimming Pool in West Wicklow
Community Pool for West Wicklow and Swim Ireland are excited to announce the arrival of the Pop-Up Pool in Blessington.
The twelve metres by 3.4 metres swimming pool will be located at St Kevin’s Community Hall in Blessington until the end of December 2022. The pool is approximately 1.2 metres deep and the water can be heated to a toasty 30 degrees making it ideal for teaching both children and adults how to swim during the winter months. The Pop-Up Pool will be based in Blessington from September to the end of December and is perfectly timed to coincide with Sport Ireland’s Winter Initiative to get people exercising and taking part in physical activities.
The pool is equipped with a ramp and hoist making it accessible for many members of the community, giving them the opportunity to hone their swimming skills or just remember how great it feels to block out the world and dip their head in the water!
As an island nation, surrounded by 6000km of coastline and 12,000 inland lakes, Ireland averages 120 drownings per year. With water sports and trips to the beach becoming increasingly popular the need for everyone, regardless of their age, to have the opportunity to learn how to swim has never been more urgent.
The Community Pool for West Wicklow group have been campaigning for the development of a swimming pool and sports complex in West Wicklow since July 2018. The Baltinglass Municipal District (West Wicklow) is the only Municipal District in Wicklow without a public or private swimming pool. This lack of local swimming facilities has severely impacted the ability of members of the West Wicklow community to access swimming pools and prevented many from ever having the opportunity to learn how to swim.
It is estimated that nationally over 500,000 children, a generation, missed swimming lessons due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In West Wicklow, the lack of local swimming facilities has meant that generations have missed the chance to learn how to swim.
Swim Ireland want to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to learn how to swim and so, supported by Sport Ireland, they have rolled out this innovative solution to the very real problem facing communities like West Wicklow – where can you access swimming when your nearest swimming pool is too far away?
Swim Ireland CEO Sarah Keane commented ‘We are delighted to be working with the Community Pool for West Wicklow campaign group to bring the Pop-Up Pool to Blessington. The Pop-Up Pool is a first step on the journey for this local community and is an ideal way to show the demand for such a facility. Swimming is a life-skill, and one that it is vital for every child. We hope that the local community will reap the benefits of having access to the pool over the next four months and look forward to welcoming people of all ages and abilities to experience the pool and take advantage of the opportunities available.
Community Pool for West Wicklow are delighted to have partnered with Swim Ireland to bring the Pop-Up Pool to Blessington this September with the support of Wicklow County Council. Its arrival makes it the first ever municipal swimming pool in West Wicklow.
The opportunities that the pool will provide and the benefits it will have for the local community are far reaching including school swimming lessons, aquafit classes, autism friendly swim classes and adult swimming lessons. There have also already been inquiries from the local Scout Troop to do a training course to help them earn their lifesaving badge and interest from sports clubs to include aquafit classes in their team training programmes.
“Swimming is the most inclusive sport, anyone can take part regardless of their age, gender, physical or mental abilities. Unfortunately, in West Wicklow our community does not have access to a local swimming pool and people must travel outside of Wicklow to Naas, Tallaght, Athy or Carlow to go swimming. The Pop-Up Pool will give people in our community the opportunity to learn how to swim, exercise and stay active this winter. We hope that this will bring our community a step closer to the development of a permanent swimming pool and sports complex here in West Wicklow” commented Deirdre McCormack, Chairperson, Community Pool for West Wicklow.
The popularity of the Pop-Up Pool during its time in West Wicklow will demonstrate the real need for the development of a permanent swimming pool and sports complex in West Wicklow. This is something that Community Pool for West Wicklow will continue to campaign and work towards with the support of local representatives, Wicklow County Council and Swim Ireland.
Speaking of today’s launch Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris said “Today is a significant milestone in the campaign to deliver a swimming pool for West Wicklow. The Pop-Up Pool in Blessington will help ascertain the demand for a permanent municipal pool for West Wicklow and I am sure given the support the community has given the campaign for a pool that this will be very popular. The Wicklow County Plan now includes an objective to deliver a municipal pool in West Wicklow and I look forward to working with Swim Ireland, Wicklow County Council, the Pool Committee, and wider community to deliver on my long-standing commitment for a municipal swimming pool for West Wicklow”
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly added ‘Having the pop-up in Blessington is a fantastic amenity for the town to have. I know many of the local schools from all across the area are excited to see it open. I would like to congratulate the dedicated team of local volunteers who have helped make the Pop-Up Pool happen. Having the pool in place will give a glimpse of what it will be like to have a permanent facility in west Wicklow which we are all pushing hard to make happen.”
Deputy Jennifer Whitmore said ‘“I am delighted that the Swim Ireland Pop-Up Pool has arrived in Blessington. This is an exciting and important event for the West Wicklow community which will have huge benefits for local schools, families, businesses, community groups, sports clubs and anyone in the area who has an interest in learning how to swim or staying active. The Pop-Up Pool also provides an important and unique opportunity to demonstrate the real need for the development of a permanent swimming pool and recreational facility in West Wicklow. I am sure that the pool will be put to great use by the local community while it is here and will prove invaluable in the Pool for West Wicklow committee’s continued campaign for the development of a permanent swimming pool and sports complex on this side of the county. I would like to congratulate the Pool for West Wicklow committee, Swim Ireland and Wicklow County Council for their hard work and coordinated efforts to bring the Pop-Up Pool to Blessington. I believe that this project brings us one step closer to the development of the much-needed permanent swimming pool and sports facility and will help to fill the recreational gap in West Wicklow.”
Also in attendance, Deputy Steven Matthews said “I am delighted to see this wonderful facility being set up in Blessington. Huge credit needs to go to the Pool for West Wicklow Campaign Team who have put enormous effort into getting to this point. I have been working with them for a number of years and this is a huge milestone in their campaign. I’m really looking forward to the opening of the Pop-Up Pool and to seeing the enormous benefit it will have in the community. We know the vital importance of teaching water safety and swimming and this pool will give many children the opportunity to learn these skills in their home area, rather than having to travel long distances. The campaign team have my ongoing support and I look forward to working with them until we reach the point of having a permanent pool facility to serve residents in West Wicklow.”
Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady warmly welcomed the opening of the Pop-Up Pool in Blessington and described it as an important milestone in the campaign for a swimming pool for West Wicklow. The Sinn Féin TD said “It is absolutely brilliant to see the opening of the Pop-Up Pool in Blessington take place. It comes about following months of collaboration between Swim Ireland and the Pool for West Wicklow Campaign. As a long-time supporter for a pool in West Wicklow I was delighted to support the planning application for the pop-up pool, so to now see the pool finally open is a credit to all those that have worked so hard to make it happen.
It is also an important milestone in the campaign for a permanent pool in West Wicklow. The West is the only part of Wicklow without a pool and the pop-up pool now provides the public an opportunity to access one in their own community without having to travel to County Kildare or elsewhere. It is also an important opportunity to collect data showing community usage of the pop-up pool which can be used in future funding applications for a permanent swimming pool.
I believe that this is a massive step forward in the campaign for a permanent pool in West Wicklow and I will continue to campaign for this along with the Pool for West Wicklow group and others.”
