The pool at the Farnham Estate was among those to receive funding locally.

Pools need punters to plug financial leak

SPLASH €24k in funding for local swimming pools

The once financially-stricken Bailieborough Swimming and Leisure Centre hope a review of how the country emerges from lockdown will allow management to reopen to the public sooner rather than later.

“Right now we’re in a position to reopen, when it allows; whereas, prior to the money coming in, that wasn’t the situation,” says Paul McFadden, chair of the Board of Management at Bailieborough Leisure Centre.

Mr McFadden acknowledges the fluid situation in which the centre and others like it currently operate but says bills still need to be paid even in lockdown.

When Bailieborough first closed to the public due amid Coronavirus concerns, the centre had €85,000 in its coffers.But with costs of up to €6,000 per month, those reserves were quickly eaten away.

The management fear that the pool may be forced to remain closed until the end of Summer or, worse again, be permitted to reopen too quick only to be told to close again at a later date.

“Hopefully we won’t get to that,” sighs Paul, who is speaking to theCeltafter more than €24,000 was allocated to almost a dozen local swimming pool operators in Cavan and Monaghan in the second and final phase of a targeted COVID-19 grant scheme.

Bailieborough Swimming & Leisure Centre received €2,460 this month, bringing its total, including what was granted in December 2020, to €11,567.

Elsewhere in Cavan, Cavan Swimming & Leisure Complex received €13,422 (€2,855 in February and €10,567 in December 2020); Farnham Estate Spa and Golf Resort €9,930 (€2,112/€7,818); Slieve Russell Hotel €11,021 (€2,344/ €8,677); and Zest Health & Fitness Club at the Cavan Crystal Hotel €11,567 (€2,460/ €9,107).

Currently the Bailieborough BOM is in the process of working out a schedule with management for getting the building reopened.

“Are these restrictions going to go on into the middle of April? If and when they’re lifted, to what level?” asks Mr McFadden. “The answers will determine where to go to next. We can only do so much, but like any building that has been lying idle for year, it’s about getting it ready.”

He’s thankful for the timely funding support received, including the unexpected financial boost received by a mystery benefactor who read about the pool’s plight in this newspaper.

Before Level 5 lockdown hit, the Bailieborough centre has been allowed to have 30 people within the building, 10 in the pool and 20 more in the gym.

“If that’s what we start out with, then that’s what we’ll have, and then build on that. Initially we know there’ll be restrictions. But really we need to get to a level where people can come back freely to use the facilities to make things viable.

We need people. All the staff are keen to get back, and I think once it’s open, and once people see it’s safe and operating within guidelines, they’ll be happy to return too. Membership at the centre has always been good, and we’d like to see that continue,” says Mr McFadden.

The latest funding allocation was part of a €2.5m funding scheme announced as part of the July Stimulus package.