Leisureland

Notch000

Any sign of it reopening again ??? is there any progress on work being done there or even started ?? or are the council just sitting on there tod doing F all about it ??? I passed it a few days ago and there looked to be nothing happening ??
Thanks

Gremlinertia

There is work ongoing, but from what I recollect there was talk that it would be autumn before it'll look like reopening.

beardybrewer

Yep, the gym was meant to reopen sooner but the pool and facilities are going to completely miss out on the summer. It seems ludicrous as you'd imagine it is a peak time for income, but then it's not private so I guess they can just rely on the household charge to prop it up.

antoobrien

Notch000 wrote: »

Any sign of it reopening again ??? is there any progress on work being done there or even started ?? or are the council just sitting on there tod doing F all about it ??? I passed it a few days ago and there looked to be nothing happening ??
Thanks

It'll be December, there was an unexpected extra delay that cost them 6 weeks.

Before that the council were trying to get the insurance company to cough up for repairs (which they don't strictly have to do, act of god and all that).

Here's wat it looked like a few weeks ago (pic from article in the tribune

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fergiesfolly

Are they going to upgrade the building or facilities.
Seems a waste to have it out of commission for so long and not take the opportunity to upgrade it

Mrs OBumble

fergiesfolly wrote: »

Are they going to upgrade the building or facilities.
Seems a waste to have it out of commission for so long and not take the opportunity to upgrade it

Are you offering to pay for an upgrade? Seems a waste to be rebuilding a loss making facility, but that's all the insurance will generally do.

Notch000

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Are you offering to pay for an upgrade? Seems a waste to be rebuilding a loss making facility, but that's all the insurance will generally do.

this loss making facility is a community resource

renegademaster

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Are you offering to pay for an upgrade? Seems a waste to be rebuilding a loss making facility, but that's all the insurance will generally do.

its making a loss due to the facility not being large or modern enough to put on big shows, also poor management and their lack of foresight is a major issue.

snubbleste

antoobrien wrote: »

Here's wat it looked like a few weeks ago (pic from article in the tribune)

That is one lonely chair in the deep end

Mrs OBumble

Notch000 wrote: »

this loss making facility is a community resource

So's the hospital. I know which I'd rather my tax dollars went towards.

If people want to swim, they use the ocean or they pay to use private leisure facilities.

As a concert or event venue, Leisureland is a complete joke.

JohnCleary

snubbleste wrote: »

That is one lonely chair in the deep end

The deep end is actually the shallow end, and vice versa. The reason being is that there needs to be additional space for the rams of the adjustable floor.

Daily piece of useless info right there folks :pac:

cfeeneyinterior

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

So's the hospital. I know which I'd rather my tax dollars went towards.

If people want to swim, they use the ocean or they pay to use private leisure facilities.

As a concert or event venue, Leisureland is a complete joke.

Private facilities would tend to be membership-based or a little bit too expensive for low income families. People need to learn how to swim; for safety reasons. For this reason money should be spent and as usual lost on the facility to enable kids learn how to swim and adults too. To save lives at the end of the day..

I assume they are upgrading the pumps in there etc so maybe it won't be flippin freeezin anymore althouh all that glass and a thin roof don't give A+ energy ratings.

Forget the halll, thats years out of date and doesn't make or lose money. Galway is too small for any large scale venue I'd say, if it scould support a large venue it would have been built.

-crisp-

What actually caused the damage? I get the gym would have been wrecked but I dont get how a swimming pool being flooded would do so much damage apart from broken tiles or needing to repair or replace the filters and pumps.
Can someone please enlighten me?

challengemaster

cfeeneyinterior wrote: »

People need to learn how to swim; for safety reasons.

I don't remember any basic human right of learning to swim. Plenty of people go through life who can't swim and don't drown. It's a privilege to learn to swim, not a right.

And I can't think of too many safety reasons you could end up in where you need to swim, unless you've made a choice or decision to end up in such a situation.

Krieg

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gordongekko

challengemaster wrote: »

I don't remember any basic human right of learning to swim. Plenty of people go through life who can't swim and don't drown. It's a privilege to learn to swim, not a right.

And I can't think of too many safety reasons you could end up in where you need to swim, unless you've made a choice or decision to end up in such a situation.

Not sure if serious....

jkforde

-crisp- wrote: »

What actually caused the damage? I get the gym would have been wrecked but I dont get how a swimming pool being flooded would do so much damage apart from broken tiles or needing to repair or replace the filters and pumps.
Can someone please enlighten me?

I think sewage got in to the grouting and soaked in behind the tiles thus requiring a total refit... open to correction though...

Mrs OBumble

cfeeneyinterior wrote: »

Private facilities would tend to be membership-based or a little bit too expensive for low income families. People need to learn how to swim; for safety reasons. For this reason money should be spent and as usual lost on the facility to enable kids learn how to swim and adults too.

Prices at Leisureland as a subsidised facility are also too expensive for low-income families. Eg 1 adult and 3 children is E16. (ref) - and that doesn't include any swimming education.

I agree that ideally learning to swim should be part of the primary school curriculum - funded by the education system, not the local council! But I don't believe that happens ... and I don't see why the taxpayer should be subsidising anyone's leisure facilities.

gordongekko

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Prices at Leisureland as a subsidised facility are also too expensive for low-income families. Eg 1 adult and 3 children is E16. (ref) - and that doesn't include any swimming education.

I agree that ideally learning to swim should be part of the primary school curriculum - funded by the education system, not the local council! But I don't believe that happens ... and I don't see why the taxpayer should be subsidising anyone's leisure facilities.

If one person learning to swim in leisureland means someone less drowns then it's money very well spent.

challengemaster

gordongekko wrote: »

If one person learning to swim in leisureland means someone less drowns then it's money very well spent.

And how is it you're imagining that these people who cannot swim will meet their demise?

It's not that hard to avoid deep water if you're unable to swim.

cfeeneyinterior

challengemaster wrote: »

And how is it you're imagining that these people who cannot swim will meet their demise?

It's not that hard to avoid deep water if you're unable to swim.

Not all these people, just one. I think its as important as reading and writing. You have to learn how to swim. Perhaps if they changed the name from Leisureland to Swim school, you would think differently. We are an island

maki

challengemaster wrote: »

And how is it you're imagining that these people who cannot swim will meet their demise?

It's not that hard to avoid deep water if you're unable to swim.

Do you think that anyone who has ever drowned has actively and voluntarily entered deep water?

People can get blown into the river, get dragged out by the current at a beach, fall out of a boat, or any number of things really. Accidents happen.

I'm amazed by the amount of people who underestimate the value of being able to survive in a substance that this planet is mostly covered in.

challengemaster

cfeeneyinterior wrote: »

Not all these people, just one. I think its as important as reading and writing. You have to learn how to swim. Perhaps if they changed the name from Leisureland to Swim school, you would think differently. We are an island

I'm just making this point because personally I can't swim, and suffice to say as I'm writing this post, I haven't drowned yet. You do not HAVE to learn how to swim. Plenty of people never learn.

maki wrote: »

Do you think that anyone who has ever drowned has actively and voluntarily entered deep water?

People can get blown into the river, get dragged out by the current at a beach, fall out of a boat, or any number of things really. Accidents happen.

I'm amazed by the amount of people who underestimate the value of being able to survive in a substance that this planet is mostly covered in.

I think a lot have voluntarily put themselves in situations where they were at risk of it.

If you manage to "get dragged out by a current at a beach" - you were in the water. Unless you're blind, you don't really have an excuse for that one - it's pretty easy to see exactly where the edge of the water is at any time, and move when the tide comes in.

If you fall out of a boat, you have voluntarily ended up on a boat in the first place. If you're talking about a small boat, then I believe you'd be an idiot to not have a life jacket on, particularly if you cannot swim. If you're talking about a ferry - it is entirely possible to stay indoors for an entire ferry journey. Unless the ship sinks, there is no actual necessity to go outside at any point. It's a choice.

And I'd love to hear the statistics on being blown into a river. But yet again, if you've put yourself close enough to a river where there's no barriers up, to get magically blown into it, you've put yourself in that situation.

You're right, the planet is mostly covered in water. But you're severely over estimating the effort required to avoid deep water if you cannot swim, or rather, the amount of effort people have to go to to end up IN water.

cfeeneyinterior

challengemaster wrote: »

you're severely over estimating the effort required to avoid deep water if you cannot swim, or rather, the amount of effort people have to go to to end up IN water.

I think the effort and money spent in learning how to swim whilst being a child or an adult is alot less than spending your time having to avoid situations where you might get wet.....

This is getting silly. People meed to learn how to swim. As regards money being poured into it.....
http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/65690/council-row-over-disputed-claims-that-leisureland-is-losing-12000-a-week
"The perception is that Leisureland is some financial noose around the neck of Galway City Council but this is wholly incorrect and is unfair. The correct deficit figure for the Leisureland facility in 2012 was €399,000 and this included a bill for €78,500 for commercial rates which the present Government has decided to levy on local authority facilities, and it also includes a provision for legal fees of €140,000 for a case taken against Leisureland which we actually won, and this raises questions in itself. When the figure is netted out Leisureland operated a deficit of approximately €180,000 in 2012, which is an achievement in the context of the Public Service Obligation on Galway City Council to operate the facility and is in line with the average cost to the council of operating other community centres throughout the city.” Cllr Keane also told the chamber that for every €1 taken in 60 cent is paid out in wages."

Diabhal Beag

Are the staff still getting paid does anybody know?

Thargor

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Are the staff still getting paid does anybody know?

They've been getting paid all along?

Mrs OBumble

cfeeneyinterior wrote: »

...in the context of the Public Service Obligation on Galway City Council to operate the facility and is in line with the average cost to the council of operating other community centres throughout the city.” Cllr Keane also told the chamber that for every €1 taken in 60 cent is paid out in wages."

Can you give us a link to something that defines a local authorities PSO to provide a learn-to-swim facility? And explain how Galway County Council meet it?

cfeeneyinterior

No, Im not bothered to be honest. I'm happy for my taxes to go to a facility such as leisureland. I personally think it is a great facility and I hope my kids will use it as much as I did in my youth. I would have no problem with it getting tax money.
Lots of sports get funding and grants.

Obviously there are people here who think it is a waste of money for people to learn how to swim and should pay it their own way. I have had a family member who drowned a good few years ago in a river drowning. Now I suppose they should have known better and got into difficulty.
However if they had been taught how to swim theywould still be alive today.

gordongekko

challengemaster wrote: »

I'm just making this point because personally I can't swim, and suffice to say as I'm writing this post, I haven't drowned yet. You do not HAVE to learn how to swim. Plenty of people never learn.



I think a lot have voluntarily put themselves in situations where they were at risk of it.

If you manage to "get dragged out by a current at a beach" - you were in the water. Unless you're blind, you don't really have an excuse for that one - it's pretty easy to see exactly where the edge of the water is at any time, and move when the tide comes in.

If you fall out of a boat, you have voluntarily ended up on a boat in the first place. If you're talking about a small boat, then I believe you'd be an idiot to not have a life jacket on, particularly if you cannot swim. If you're talking about a ferry - it is entirely possible to stay indoors for an entire ferry journey. Unless the ship sinks, there is no actual necessity to go outside at any point. It's a choice.

And I'd love to hear the statistics on being blown into a river. But yet again, if you've put yourself close enough to a river where there's no barriers up, to get magically blown into it, you've put yourself in that situation.

You're right, the planet is mostly covered in water. But you're severely over estimating the effort required to avoid deep water if you cannot swim, or rather, the amount of effort people have to go to to end up IN water.

Pretty pathetic argument. Next thing you will be claiming any pedestrian knocked down on a road was at fault as they can see where the footpath is and were not blown into the road. Accidents happen.

JohnCleary

I had the happiest days of my childhood swimming (and learning how to) in Leisureland. I'm happy to know i'm making some sort of a contribution to it, regardless if its loss-making.

Years ago, there used to be swim classes for hundreds of children per week at Leisureland (and still were until it closed). It's doing a lot more for society than just teaching kids how to swim.

The same people complaining about Leisureland are probably the same people who'd complain if they saw some lard-ass kid stuck infront of an XBox all day.... go figure.

buzz11

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Are the staff still getting paid does anybody know?

Yes, I've been told by someone who works there that they are all being paid even if they aren't involved in the refurbishment. (i.e. they have little or nothing to do)

TheCoolWay

-crisp- wrote: »

What actually caused the damage? I get the gym would have been wrecked but I dont get how a swimming pool being flooded would do so much damage apart from broken tiles or needing to repair or replace the filters and pumps.
Can someone please enlighten me?

The salt damaged the tiles, which were coming off in pool and on floor etc. Whole place wrecked. Health and safety, future hazards etc

-crisp-

TheCoolWay wrote: »

The salt damaged the tiles, which were coming off in pool and on floor etc. Whole place wrecked. Health and safety, future hazards etc

Makes sense thanks.

I'd like to see it opened again sooner rather than later. I learned how to swim there every thursday with my primary school and I'd like the same for my daughter.

Sorry if its off topic but can anyone suggested a good swimming pool to bring my 4 year old? Most of the hotel or gym pools I've seen are just a 6 foot deep pool with the lanes set up. The ones that had a kids pool were barley knee high and very small. Leisure Land was a place for her to have fun while learning to be confident in water in a safe environment.

All my nieces and nephews are terrified of deep water, cant swim properly and are more interested in plonking themselves on a couch with their DS. While I learned how to swim in first class and was jumping off Blackrock by the age of 10.

Weather we as tax payers should be funding the place, I'm not sure, but a place like Leisure Land is definitely needed in this city. And I also agree that we all need to swim. We live by the coast and have a river and canals running right through the middle of this place. Accidents happen and more people might would be alive if they knew how to swim properly and didn't panic in deep water

TheCoolWay

buzz11 wrote: »

Yes, I've been told by someone who works there that they are all being paid even if they aren't involved in the refurbishment. (i.e. they have little or nothing to do)

Not as of last week

dilallio

Some interesting developments from Pearce Flannery's FB Page
Quoting full posts here for those who do not use FB

10-Oct-2014

Leisureland Update:

A proposal to increase the fees for swimming clubs using the Leisureland facility going forward was unanimously voted down at a board meeting this evening (Friday 10th October).

The council executive say that they reserve the right to unilaterally increase the fees anyhow in spite of the boards decision. They also stated that they may remove the teaching classes from the swimming clubs in spite of the opposition to this move by all councillors and board members present.

I await their formal position and their proposed course of action on this matter. Until the position is clarified I reserve my position but I feel my position on a board that is ignored and as such is simply a public relation exercise is pointless would render my position on that board untenable.

I will keep you posted on any developments as they arise.

and today:

31-Oct-2014

Important Leisureland Update.

The board meeting scheduled for this morning at 11am was postponed amid chaotic scenes just now.

I uncovered a bizarre situation in my investigations of the facility over the last few days.

Due to what is in my opinion the continued mis-governance of the facility the board as was attending meetings would appear to have no legal standing and as such all meetings, decisions and policy matters as discussed could be deemed to be invalid. I warned the Leisureland management and City Council executive that they were in contravention yet again of company law.

The new board was elected in June and the company secretary and Leisureland management were obliged to inform the companies office of the change of directors within 14 days. This was not done and is therefore in contravention of company law. I have confirmation of this from the ODCE.and as such the previous board are still legally in the position.

The new board appear to have no legal standing.

It is my opinion that the entire board of the Leisureland facility would have resigned this morning in protest at a decision by the executive at Galway City Council to over-rule the board’s decision not to increase the fees to the aquatic fraternity only to discover the farcical situation that appearantly they were not members of the board in the first place. The council have been instructed to take legal advice on the matter.

There is a strong possibility that this renders all meetings held since June as invalid, the AGM is invalid and any and all decisions taken since June are also legally invalid. The board as is formally and legally constituted were not in attendance or even informed of the meetings as is a requirement.

The last six months have been a disgraceful waste of everybody’s time. I was initially shocked at how easily the executive dismissed the opinions of the board as being of little importance but now I realise the management and executive tasked with running the facility are actually in contravention of their legal obligations under the companies act.

They continually state that the facility has to break even yet they do not want to engage in any discussion as to how the facility could be developed and generate further revenues. Time and time again they allude to the fact that the directors are at fault for the lack of progress within the company. They have only one strategy and that is to impose penalties on the users of the facility.

This is in my view inept business management of a prime facility.

I formally reported the company governing the facility to the Director of Corporate Enforcement for what I feel are irregularities in the corporate governance of the facility. Due to breaches of the memorandum of understanding it is my opinion that certain figures as presented in the accounts are open to question or scrutiny.

The management and governance of the Leisureland facility is at present an absolute shambles”.

We are awaiting legal clarification on this matter and another meeting will be schedule in due course.

This is a disgrace. The young people of Galway, athletes and people that swim for recreational or health reasons deserve better from all involved.

I will keep you posted on developments as they arise.

antoobrien

dilallio wrote: »

Some interesting developments from Pearce Flannery's FB Page

Three articles from the tribune website to go with it:

http://connachttribune.ie/leisureland-boards-quit-threat-over-price-hike-888/
http://connachttribune.ie/meeting-of-leisureland-board-ends-in-chaos/
http://connachttribune.ie/swim-club-exodus-to-leave-leisureland-in-deep-water-208/

Mrs OBumble

If they clubs say they're not going back, that means they've found adequate facilities elsewhere. Excellent news. So why exactly are we bothering to re-open this loss-making facility???

antoobrien

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If they clubs say they're not going back, that means they've found adequate facilities elsewhere. Excellent news. So why exactly are we bothering to re-open this loss-making facility???

The fact that it's a loss making facility isn't a great concern, it's primary function is to provide affordable access to the leisure facilities.

So I'd re-phrase the question as:
Why are we reopening this unaffordable loss-making facility?

Notch000

Is there any sign of this place reopening any time soon ?? contoversities aside

Diabhal Beag

I'm nearly certain I saw treadmills being put in the gym while I was jogging about 3 weeks ago.

AngeGal

dilallio wrote: »

Some interesting developments from Pearce Flannery's FB Page

I wouldn't pay any attention to that. He's right technically that the CRO has a rule that changing directors should be filed within 14 days but they never enforce that and no chance board decisions are legally invalid, as I'm sure he's aware. Just looking for a bit of cheap publicity.

Volvoair

Notch000 wrote: »

Is there any sign of this place reopening any time soon ?? contoversities aside

mentioned on keith finnegan radio show during the week,that it will be opening some time in december. (fingers crossed)

Storm 10

Pool not open yet, Gym is open though, a friend used it today, All brand new equipment (obvious) and it looks absolutely brilliant.

gordongekko

Storm 10 wrote: »

Pool not open yet, Gym is open though, a friend used it today, All brand new equipment (obvious) and it looks absolutely brilliant.

How much is it?

biko

May have changed www.leisureland.ie/gym_fitness_prices.html

dilallio

Storm 10 wrote: »

Pool not open yet, Gym is open though, a friend used it today, All brand new equipment (obvious) and it looks absolutely brilliant.

I hope they have a Rowing Machine ...

Volvoair

leisureland pool opening next week !!!!!!!!!. get yer kit off/on

https://www.facebook.com/Leisureland/photos/a.290325144332092.77086.217726918258582/857190400978894/?type=1

http://www.leisureland.ie/