Carrickmacross awaits permanent pool as pop-up departs

Carrickmacross's pop-up pool is set to close on December 19, members of the Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District were told at their recent meeting.

The pool has served the town for the past two years despite originally being intended as a six-month facility.

Correspondence from Swim Ireland confirmed the pool requires repairs estimated at between €12-18,000, with a separate leak repair not included in that figure. Operational costs from January to August 2026 amounted to approximately €96,500, of which €56,500 was spent on salaries.

The Municipal District had agreed to contribute €10,000 towards energy costs. However, Swim Ireland described the repair costs as "insurmountable" and indicated the necessary works would not be carried out while the pool remained on the Convent Lands site. Members also heard correspondence from District Co-ordinator Damien Thornton to Swim Ireland stating: "Monaghan Co Council is happy to retain the pop-up pool under the current agreed terms. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to provide financial support for the repairs and maintenance work outlined."

Highlighting the significance of the issue, Cllr PJ O'Hanlon (FF) asked: "Is there going to be money for the proposed new swimming pool?"

Cllr Colm Carthy (SF) noted the proposed pool remains in the early stages of design, and added the popularity of the pop-up pool highlighted how the permanent facility is needed.

"The pop-up pool has had even more use in recent weeks and months since the closure of the leisure centre in The Glencarn Hotel," he said, which followed the closure of the hotel itself in early 2025.

"I'd like to see if we can extend the pop-up pool, it will support our case, highlighting how hundreds of kids have learned how to swim there," he said.

MD Director of Services Cathal Flynn assured members that funding provision was being made for the proposed facility: "There is provision for the swimming pool in the revenue budget," he said, confirming the availability of match funding.

Responding to Cllr O'Hanlon's query, Mr Thornton said they don't have resources to keep the pop-up pool going. "The pop-up pool needs significant work and the cost has increased considerably. We agreed to share energy costs. It will be going on December 19."

Mr Flynn said the most likely funding model for a permanent pool would involve a 70:30 split, with the local authority providing the required contribution alongside grant aid. Having attended the recent Swim Ireland conference, Cllr O'Hanlon estimated the overall cost of a permanent swimming pool could be in the region of €20 million.

He calculated that 30% of such a project would amount to €6 million and argued that, if annual budget provisions remained at €300,000, it could take two decades to accumulate that sum. On that basis, he proposed a dedicated meeting on the issue before the council's budget meeting later in the month.

"We have to generate it somewhere else, this has been going on since the 1970s," he said.

He added that, with the pop-up pool due to leave at Christmas, elected members would inevitably be asked when construction of a permanent replacement would begin: "I think we need to be honest with people, it will be a number of years before there is a pool in Carrickmacross."

Cllr Carthy said that once the design stage was completed, members would have a clearer understanding of the project's cost. While acknowledging that the scheme would depend heavily on external funding, he reaffirmed the council's commitment to delivering both a swimming pool and leisure centre for the town.

"This isn't going to be an easy delivery but everyone is on board … this has been in the ether since the '70s, an aspiration before we were even born," he said. "I believe we deserve and need this amenity for the southern town in our county."

Cathaoirleach Noel Keelan described the proposed facility as a flagship project for the area. "This is a legacy project. We have a site and the contracts are signed. We will bring it forward to planning."

Cllr Peter Conlon (FG) said: "The funding is there to bring the pool through to planning. We will see what funding is available," he said, expressing hope that Large Scale Infrastructure funding would be secured for the project. "The commitment is there and that's the key. We will find a way. We are all behind this project for South Monaghan."

Cllr O'Hanlon said he was disappointed that the pop-up pool would be removed before the permanent facility had even broken ground.

"Not many can remember the sign on the side of the VG shop displaying how much money had been collected for the swimming pool. I want to see this happen for Carrickmacross."

Nonetheless, he stressed the importance of being realistic about the challenges ahead. The Fianna Fáil councillor also repeated his opposition to plans for new Monaghan County Council offices in Monaghan Town. "The new Monaghan Co Council offices shouldn't even be considered when two projects in this town have been in need of funding for 50-60 years," he said in reference to the renovation of the town's workhouse site as the second project.

The pre-budget meeting is scheduled to take place in M:Tek 1 immediately after the monthly meeting of Monaghan County Council at 3pm on Monday next (November 2).