Site chosen for new Carrick pool

Wait of over 50 years for pool for South Monaghan town

The preferred site for a proposed new swimming pool and leisure complex in Carrickmacross has been identified.

The location now being further assessed is council-owned land (formerly convent lands) adjacent to the CTEK buildings at the junction of Riverside Road and Oriel Road.

The project has been under discussion, in various forms and through a number of community campaigns, for more than 50 years.

The preferred site was presented to elected members of the Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District during an in-committee meeting held in November. At that time, the council executive had advertised a procurement competition for the provision of topographical and utilities surveys at the site.

That procurement process concluded in mid-December and, subject to tender evaluation, it is anticipated that the relevant surveying services will commence in early 2026.

An update on progress in selecting a site for the proposed swimming pool and leisure complex was also provided at last Monday’s meeting of Monaghan County Council.

Once the survey work is completed, the project will proceed to the design and planning stages, before advancing to the Preliminary Business Case stage, in compliance with the Public Spending Code and Infrastructure Guidelines.

In July 2024, Monaghan County Council appointed consultancy firm S3 Solutions to undertake a feasibility study and strategic assessment for the proposed swimming pool and leisure complex in Carrickmacross.

As part of that process, two online public surveys were launched to gather feedback on existing swimming and leisure facilities and to assess local demand.

Last year, Swim Ireland brought its Pop-Up Pool initiative to Carrickmacross, located beside Carrick Aces Athletic Club on Oriel Road. Supported by Monaghan Local Sports Partnership and Monaghan County Council, the temporary facility generated strong local interest, adding further momentum to discussions around a permanent swimming pool for the town.

The move has been widely welcomed locally.

Fianna Fáil councillor P.J. O’Hanlon, Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, credited the generation who first mooted the need for a pool in Carrickmacross in the 1970s.

“It’s great to get it this far now. I would also like to acknowledge the role of Chief Executive Robert Burns in bringing it to this stage, and to thank Director of Services Cathal Flynn as well. This is very good news for Carrickmacross,” he said.

Sinn Féin councillor Colm Carthy also welcomed the latest progress on the project.

He said: “It's still early days in the process but momentum is with us. Agreement is there between the elected representative and the council executive. More importantly is the will and desire of the people of South Monaghan to see this project move forward as quickly as possible.”

His party colleague, Noel Keelan, added: “This is hugely positive. It is something that has been campaigned for by the local community for over 50 years. When it comes to fruition, it will be a legacy project for the local municipal district and the county council.”

Fine Gael councillor Peter Conlan noted the importance of having the project ready to proceed when capital funding becomes available through the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

“There is no doubt this has the potential to be a major boost for the town of Carrickmacross. But it’s not there yet. We have a site, and we have funding for a business plan and design. There are still a lot of hurdles to jump,” he said.