Olympic gold winner Daniel Wiffen has voiced his support for the construction of more 50m swimming pools nationwide, anxiously awaiting the funds necessary to utilize the pool currently stored in Co Cork. Despite being a decorated swimmer at the age of 23, Wiffen experienced growing up with a scarce number of 50m pools in Northern Ireland.
Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for Sport, echoed Wiffen’s call for a 50m pool in Cork. He urged the local authority to secure a location for the idle pool and has guaranteed his department’s collaboration with the Cork County or City Councils to manage the pool’s operating costs, provided a suitable site can be found.
Dolphin Swimming Club, based in Cork city, recently disclosed an acquisition of a 50m pool previously used in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. This pool currently resides in a storage facility.
Wiffen, in collaboration with the Minister, highlighted the issue during the release of the inaugural National Swimming Strategy at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin. Recently returned from his successful Paris Olympics campaign, Wiffen has had an exhilarating time, often being stopped for selfies by fans. He enjoys his newfound popularity, including perks like complimentary steaks from his local butcher.
Wiffen is confident that Ireland is capable of acquiring “double the quantity of medals” from the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics in four years. He believes that the direction of the swimming strategy aligns with the requirement for more swimming infrastructure and opportunities for budding swimmers in the nation.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Dolphin Swimming Club, Giuseppe Whelan, acknowledges the absence of a location or funds for the club’s aspirational pool. Yet he categorised the pursuit as an irresistible chance to seize.
Mr Whelan indicated that as the club doesn’t yet possess a plot of land and lacks 30 per cent of the construction expenses, it currently doesn’t qualify for the Government’s Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). Therefore, they’re exploring alternate funding possibilities, such as regional development funds and sponsorship.
A 50m modular training pool with six lanes, purchased earlier in the year for €100,000 was entirely funded by the club’s members.
Mr Byrne fervently urged the local authorities to secure a location. He pointed out the existence of 50m pools in Dublin and Limerick and the necessity for one such pool in Cork. He invited the local authorities to put forth suggestions. As lessons learned from the Paris Olympics, the infrastructure needn’t be overly grandeur. There was a commitment to collaborate with the Cork County Council to manage the costs associated with the operation of the pools. This is a topic often raised in swimming discussions.
Mr Byrne shed light on the deficiencies in the nation’s swimming facilities that require addressing. He underlined that the €500,000 assigned by the Government under the recent strategy was intended for Swim Ireland and local authorities to employ swimming instructors and not meant for construction.
The East Meath TD announced a capital programme to be unveiled in September which is anticipated to be an unrivalled initiative by a significant margin. This program is set to advantage sport across the country including swimming.
He concluded with a look to the future where he expects significant swimming projects to receive the necessary funding.