The community of Oldcastle, Co. Meath and the wider region is looking forward with great excitement to the opportunity to enjoy swimming indoors right in their community with the recent announcement of the arrival of a Swim Ireland Pop-Up Pool.
Meath Local Sports Partnership with support from Meath County Council are delighted to link with Swim Ireland to introduce this innovative solution to Oldcastle for the next five months. The Pop-Up Pool is a 12m x 3.4m steel structure which holds 45,000 litres of water and is heated to a balmy 30 degrees. The pool is sheltered from the elements in a hard sided and heated marquee with changing rooms onsite an inclusive ramp and hoist.
It will provide an ideal place to learn to swim, develop swimming skills or just to enjoy how great it feels to relax and dip your head in the water. Opportunities are endless and will include school swimming programmes, evening and weekend swimming lessons, community group sessions and private hire.
Swim Ireland CEO Sarah Keane said ‘We are delighted to be working with Meath Local Sports Partnership and Meath County Council to bring the Pop-Up Pool to Oldcastle. At Swim Ireland our vision is for ‘An Island of Swimmers’ and we hope that by bringing the Pop-Up Pool to the people, that we can teach thousands to swim and give them the experience and opportunity to see swimming as a skill and something they can participate in across all life stages. We also see the pop-up pool as a first step in supporting the development of the National Swimming Strategy, a major part of which will focus on swimming infrastructure indoors and outdoors.
Meath Local Sports Partnership Chief Executive Officer Mary Murphy commented ‘Meath Local Sport Partnership is delighted that Swim Ireland supported our request to bring the wonderful initiative which is the Pop-up Pool to Oldcastle. We are also very thankful to Sport Ireland for their support in funding this initiative.
Swimming is an important life-skill, and one that should be afforded to every child and adult on this island. This is a tremendous opportunity for the local community and we hope that the people of Oldcastle and its environs, will reap the benefits of having access to the pool over the next five months. Meath LSP looks forward to welcoming people of all ages and abilities to experience the pool and take advantage of the opportunities available.’
Meath County Council Leas-Cathaoirleach Clllr. Mike Bray added “I trust that the local community of Oldcastle and its surrounding areas will reap the benefits of having access to the pool over the next five months. We look forward to welcoming people of all ages and abilities to experience the pool and take advantage of the opportunities available”.
Chief Executive of Sport Ireland, Una May, said: “Last year the Sport Ireland Irish Sports Monitor showed that swimming was the second most popular sport amongst adults with 300,000 participating each week. Swimming pools provide a vital resource for schools, clubs and communities across the country, and we are proud to increase access to swimming pools through our support of Swim Ireland’s pop up pool initiative.”
The Pop-up Pool is operated by Swim Ireland. It is indoors, heated, fully equipped, fully accessible and has changing facilities. There are lifeguards and swim teachers on duty and the pool has capacity for 16 children and 12 adults.
Bookings for the pool can be made on the Swim Ireland website Me and the Water | Swim Ireland. Bookings are now open (public swim €3.50) and there will be options for Schools, Community Groups, Learn to Swim and Aqua Aerobics, we anticipate demand to be high so book early to avoid missing out.
As the pool will be located in Oldcastle for the next five months, Swim Ireland are still recruiting for swim teachers and lifeguards. For more information about those positions contact Rebecca @ rebeccarolston@swimireland.ie
