MPAG members visit London sports complex to get ideas
Members of the Mullingar Pool Action Group (MPAG) along with representatives from Westmeath County Council and Swim Ireland travelled to London last week to get a few ideas for the new sports centre and pool proposed for Mullingar.
MPAG members Robert Keane and Deputy Robert Troy, along with Deirdre Reilly and Sheila Healy from Westmeath County Council, and Swim Ireland’s chief of operations Mary McMorrow and chairman Peter Conway visited the a new sports complex being built in the borough of Rainham.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, MPAG vice chair Robert Keane said that the trip, which was organised by Swim Ireland, was productive.
“The complex is almost completed and the main reason was to look at cost effective models [for building a new pool], to became better acquainted with the whole idea of modular design and overall to get ideas.
“In Rainham, there is an above ground swimming pool, which would be more cost effective.”
In a recent submission to Westmeath County Council, MPAG proposed that the new sports complex should include a 50m Olympic standard swimming pool.
Mr Keane, who has been a member of Mullingar Jets since he was a child, says that a 50m pool would benefit the town and its people for generations.
“The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the pool and I think that an Olympic sized pool would match the vision and ambition for what we would like to see for Mullingar, from a business perspective, and from the perspective of attracting new foreign direct investment to the town.
“Having a facility like that would match a lot of people’s vision of how we can move the town forward in the years to come. We would hope that the county council would take that on board in the design of the new pool and sports complex. Cost is really important on a project like this, but I also think that having the vision to take a risk to certain degree is important too. It would be a major boost from a business perspective to have a 50m sized pool in Mullingar.”
There are currently two Olympic sized pools in the country, in Dublin and in Limerick.
Mr Keane, who thanked the staff at the current pool for the “fabulous” work they do, added: “Because of the accessibility of Mullingar and its geographic location, it would be a major boost locally to have something like this. You could attract swimming galas three or four times a year and people would be staying and hotels would be booked out. The knock-on effect would be massive.
“With the population growth in Mullingar that’s expected over the coming years, there would be no issue with capacity and access. Also if Mullingar was to get a 50m pool, it would be a source of pride for people too.”
Deputy Robert Troy said the trip to London was “very worthwhile”, and the presence of local authority officials and support from Swim Ireland shows there is “clear determination by the council to progress a regional sports centre for Mullingar”.