When is rathmines pool opening?

the lady

Does anyone know when the rathmines pool/gym is due to open and if it is going to be a community pool as opposed to a private gym.
Thanks

snack_ie

Re-development of Rathmines Swimming Pool
Rathmines Swimming Pool on Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6 closed on the 21st December 2007 for re-development. Re-development works commenced on site in January 2008 with an expected completion date of November 2009. The re-development consists of the demolition of the existing swimming pool and the construction of a new civic plaza, a new swimming pool, gymnasium, changing village, multi-purpose sports hall, aerobics studios, forty-six residential apartments, a childcare building, a new park to the rear of the site together with an underground car park.

For more information
South East Area Office
Block 2 Floor 2
Civic Offices
Dublin 8.
Opening hours: 9.00am to 1.00pm, 2.00pm to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday

Tel: (01) 222 2243
Fax: (01) 222 2499
Email: southeast@dublincity.ie

schqually

I just called them this morning - I had called a few months back and they let me know that it would be open in january.
However, I was told this time that the expected opening date has been put back to September as they cannot get staff. (I assume that means that due to the embargo on public sector recruitment, they cannot hire staff)
I am so angry. To have spent so many millions, to have a building like this lying unused all because nobody has the initiative to transfer staff in from other areas that which are currently over-staffed or else to point out that the money spent at this stage would be far outweighed by the benefit to the local community if they were to hire new staff.
:mad:

mad m

They are probably waiting for the closure of Pearse Park pool/Sean McDermott pool, so they can re-deploy the staff from these pools to Rathmines...

WeeBushy

September seems like a very long wait, surely they could do some re-jigging or something to get it open earlier.. It is going to benfit so many people.

schqually

I called again today and this time spoke to Paul McCann. He let me know that they expect it to be up and running when the schools reopen after the summer.
Paul let me know that the reason for the delay in opening has been mainly due to finance issues. They are waiting for the closure of other facilities before they redeploy staff to the new Rathmines facility as due to the recruitment embargo they are unable to hire new staff to run the facility.
Another part of the financing difficulty is that there was expected to be a profit on the sale of apartments (contained in the development) which did not happen.

The lack of creativity really bothers me here. We all know that the staff are available in some form or other. We also know that this building will begin to generate revenue once opened. This is typical of the negative approach to problem-solving in the recession that we are seeing everywhere.

Conchúr

Well when ever it is it's still going be too expensive. €6 per use is mad money! Public pools in England cost £2 per use.

The Townsend pool gives a monthly membership for €55, that's more expensive then crunch, jackie skelly or any other ones I've come across. I really am getting pissed off with this government, one side is complaining about obesity etc, the other is money money money...

the lady

6 quid for a swim? they want the public to subsidise their worthless apartment block I think.

Spectrum48k

I live in Rathmines and have been waiting months for this pool to open.

I am furious reading this post. Not with the posters but the general laziness from the council.

If they have financing problems the best solution is to open the pool right away. Start making it pay! Is the system run by monkeys??

As for staffing, relocate staff. Its central and I am sure there would be staff that would jump at the chance.

Right, lets start a petition to open the pool right away.

Here is TD Lucinda Creighton's email: lucinda.creighton@oireachtas.ie

There could be an election round the corner. Remind her or your politician of choice that this is a vote winning issue/ or a vote losing issue if ignored.

Anyone else frustrated at having to wait till the end of the year for a completed pool to open??

mohainus

I have to say I'm totally furious also. I can't believe its not opening until September now, and lying totally vacant and ready for use until then. This embargo makes no sence when there's a new facility that needs to be staffed, it shouldn't apply in that case.

KnocklyonGate

I rang the Council this morning and was told that the delay was due to the fact that they are establishing a private company to Manage the Facility rather than being run by the Council.

mad m

KnocklyonGate wrote: »

I rang the Council this morning and was told that the delay was due to the fact that they are establishing a private company to Manage the Facility rather than being run by the Council.

Madness!!! If a private company take over it will probably cost more to go for a swim...

Ranelite

Opening on September 6 apparently. Remains to be seen as they are in the process of appointing a manager and nothing has been fitted in the gym area yet.

mackeminexile

Was just on the phone using the numbers earlier in the thread. The official open date is 27th September.

Tom Fiat

very frustrating indeed.

kingQuez

Two weeks to go, wonder if its going to happen? I remember when I was a kid we used to swim here for 50p.. It's on the route to work, taking away all my excuses for missing morning swims

Doozie

kingQuez wrote: »

Two weeks to go, wonder if its going to happen? I remember when I was a kid we used to swim here for 50p.. It's on the route to work, taking away all my excuses for missing morning swims

I live just opposite and have been watching closely for signs of action since last year.
No sign of movement yet.
I'll stick my nose up against the window pane tomorrow... to get a better look.

mad m

I know the schools have been using it since they went back....

Doozie

Doozie wrote: »

I live just opposite and have been watching closely for signs of action since last year.
No sign of movement yet.
I'll stick my nose up against the window pane tomorrow... to get a better look.

As soon as I went out after posting this I noticed there was a load of lights on and stuff.

We have lift off.

Ranelite

Doozie wrote: »

As soon as I went out after posting this I noticed there was a load of lights on and stuff.

We have lift off.

We will have proper lift off on September 27 when the pool is open to the public. Here are the rates published by the Council.

marcam

The pool is opening up tonight - apparently its been open to schools for the past 2 weeks

RosieP

Has anyone been to the new rathmines leisure centre yet? What's it like? Is there parking at the centre?

Sorry for all the questions, I emailed them last week for info but no response yet :rolleyes:

marcam

Yeah I popped in last night - looks class, lovely pool and will be quiet for the first few months i'd say. There were loads of people in there checking it out.

RosieP

Thanks marcam, sounds good, might pop down and check it out at the weekend.

kingQuez

Swung by after work today to check it out. Things are still just getting setup (gym equipment etc.) but it sounds like the full place should be all good to go within two weeks.

The pool is open, but is currently split as 15m/10m with a floating boom, with one section of the pool at a 1m depth. Until they get a letter from the architects explicitly telling them they're allowed adjust this they aren't insured if this configuration is altered, so this is the setup they're stuck with for another day or so :rolleyes:

Pool timetable has a masters session on monday and friday mornings (7.15-8.15) which starts up in two weeks time.

Plenty of adult lessons scheduled, and 25m lanes most mornings (7.15-8.15/8.15-9.15)/evenings (6.15 onwards).

Mungrus

I went to trial swan leisure this evening, I have some experience in the industry so this is only my opinion

Reception staff seem nice and friendly, a bit pushey on sales but this can be expected givin that this is Dublin City Council's flag ship of the semi private gyms.

Pool chainging area is all open plan and individual cubicles, they were clean dispite a clatter of kids running around after lessons in the pool.

The gym,

Walk in to find a tonne of cardio vascular machiens, all precore

Rows of thread mills, cross trainers, bikes and steppers. Next was the machiens all seated, chest press, shoulder press, leg press, lat pull down, leg extention and leg curl

Not the best of vareity in fairness, no smith machien, squat rack, free bench.

Only 2 adjustable benches on offer, a selection of dumbells up to 35kg,

No curling bars on offer as they are on the way with the cable cross over machien.

Over all a bit sterile and cold for me, spin 103.8 pumping in the background sounds didnt cut it for me,

Showers up stairs needed some attention from the cleaners enough said.

Try it you may not be as critical as me

the lady

been a few times now, the last 4 times i've tried to go i havn't made it paast the front door as the place is always swarming with kids. the timetable has changed since i got it so the adult swims aren't on as often, no cold showers at the sauna area and so far i havn't seen a water fountain. don't think i'll e joining full time with those issues but it's nice for the occassional drop in swim if you get lucky and avoid the kids.

Skid

the lady wrote: »

been a few times now, the last 4 times i've tried to go i havn't made it paast the front door as the place is always swarming with kids. the timetable has changed since i got it so the adult swims aren't on as often, no cold showers at the sauna area and so far i havn't seen a water fountain. don't think i'll e joining full time with those issues but it's nice for the occassional drop in swim if you get lucky and avoid the kids.

That's poor.

I can't find any timetable online for when they have schools, adult swims, whatever.

I won't be going if it's pot luck as to when you could get a lane swim.

Reyman

I swim there occasionally and it's not too bad overall. But as some of the other posters were saying the place is overrun with school kids who occupy half the pool all day long.
The water is also kept at a very high temperature (to me anyway - 28C), and the chlorine concentrations are close to 'mustard gas' levels.
I'm not sure it's a good place to join as a club given these disadvantages, but it's fine for an occasional swim.