A €6m revamp of Lahinch Leisure Centre in Co Clare, which includes a dedicated water safety centre, has been officially unveiled today (Monday 18 July) by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys.
The newly redesigned family-friendly, state-of-the-art facility features a 25-metre heated swimming pool, learner pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi besides the new Water Safety Ireland rescue centre.
A two-storey fitness gym overlooks the promenade and Liscannor Bay, with membership drawn from all over North and West Clare already exceeding 1,400 people.
Cllr Tony O’Brien, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, praised the wider community for its “steadfast support” for the development and he expressed his hope that future developments on site will further add to the amenities on offer.
“Today is about the future and a fantastic modern facility that is once again ready to serve another generation of residents and visitors to Lahinch, and the entire North and West Clare area,” he added.
Shane Talty, member of the board of Lahinch Leisure Centre and Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District said the upgrade is the first significant development on the site in more than 25 years and marks the beginning of a new phase of life for the historic community facility.
“The first development on this site was in 1963, when a forward thinking, progressive Community Development Association oversaw the provision of a dance hall and outdoor swimming pool,” Cllr Talty said. “That centre operated for the next 30 years, until the mid-1990s when a large-scale renovation saw the pool modernised and enclosed and an aquarium developed.”
Cllr Tony O’Brien, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council with Eoin Conlan, manager of Lahinch Lesiure Centre and Heather Humphreys, Minister for Rural and Community Development at the opening of the €6m revamp of the leisure centre | Credit: Eamon Ward
He continued: “The revamped facility opened in 1996 and served the community up to its closure in Dec 2019. By then, the structures had become dilapidated, the roof was badly leaking, and the pool plant room had reached end of life. Only the trojan efforts of the then Manager Joe Garrihy, his staff, the board chair Denis Creedon and the members somehow managed to keep the centre open for as long as they had.”
Cllr Talty noted that planning has already commenced regarding the proposed repurposing the community hall within the building and that further funding will be sought.
“Funding received under the department’s RRDF fund has also helped deliver new on-site public toilets as well as a new rescue centre developed by Clare Water Safety with our support in providing the required lands,” he added.
“We have been delighted with this model of collaboration between the Local Authority, Clare Water Safety and ourselves in making the centre a real hub for the community.”
Through funding support from the SEAI, the facility is a Nearly Zero-Energy Building (NZEB) delivering approximately €100,000 savings in annual energy costs. Additional funding from LEADER programme has delivered energy upgrade works to further heighten the environmental sustainability of the centre.
JADA Construction Ltd and Kelly RAC were the main contractors for the development while the design team comprised McKenna Consulting Engineers, Tom McNamara & Partners and Tipperary Energy Agency.
The facility upgrade has been funded by the Department of Community & Rural Development through the RRDF, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the TOMAR Trust, LEADER, Clare County Council and local fundraising. See www.lahinchleisurecentre.ie for further information.
