Mallow Swimming Pool will close for up to a year for a multi-million-euro upgrade, it has been announced. The pool will close on Monday, 3rd March, and while a detailed programme of works has not been announced yet, it is expected that the upgrade will include a new front extension incorporating a reception area, an office and ‘party’ room, an extension to the rear of the pool incorporating a new sauna, steam room and multi-purpose room, new ‘village style’ communal changing rooms with associated facilities, and an upgraded pool deck which will allow clubs to do dry-land activities and warm-up training.
The development will also include the replace-ment of windows, doors and the roof of the complex with more energy-efficient mater-ials, and the upgrading of plant and electrical equipment and chemical dosing facilities.
The news has been welcomed by Cllr Gearóid Murphy, who is a regular user of the facility. “This is great news, and while the pool will be off limits for up to a year, the end result will be a much-improved amenity for all users,” he said.
“This work will make the pool a lot more sus-tainable in environmental terms. At present the cost of running it is substantial for Cork County Council, and I understand that it [the refurbishment works] will pay for itself in the long run.”
The closure of the pool for up to a year will affect several local sports groups, especially Mallow Swans Swim-ming Club, which is a heavy user of the facility for training its large membership of swim-mers, and the club committee is at present exploring options with regard to booking sessions in other swimming pools while awaiting the reopening of the Mallow pool. Mallow Water Safety and Mallow Masters Swimming Club also use the pool on a regular basis, while schools from Mallow and all over North Cork, even some in South Limerick, are also regular users.
Mallow Swimming Club first opened its doors in 1973, following a major fundraising drive in the town, and it has been an important amenity in the town in the years that followed. The pool closed for an extended period in the mid-1990s for an upgrade, and a children’s splash pool and other facilities were added. This year’s work will see a major refurbishment, which will no doubt be welcomed by its many users.