No gym in UCD

mloc · 01-05-2012 07:59PM #1

Crunch Fitness UCD closed today, for the last time.

As of now, as far as I am aware, there is no general access gym in UCD.

It's nothing short of an embarrassment.

Any idea when the new gym in the new student centre will be up and running?

graduate · 01-05-2012 08:04PM

What's embarrassing about it? UCD not having enough money for library books or tutorials is an embarrassment.

Dublin is full of gyms and they are not that busy.

beardedmaster · 01-05-2012 09:07PM

New gym is open at the end of June.

WeeBushy · 01-05-2012 09:18PM

As beardedmaster said, the new gym is opening opening next month. Hardly an embarrassment.

mloc · 01-05-2012 09:36PM

It's totally unacceptable that the largest university in Ireland does not have a functional gym.

beardedmaster · 01-05-2012 09:45PM

mloc wrote: »

It's totally unacceptable that the largest university in Ireland does not have a functional gym.

For less than two months? At the very end of the second Semester, a very off-peak time? Just before huge, free, new student centre building, packed with facilities is about to open?

If you say so I guess..

spudington16 · 01-05-2012 10:42PM

mloc wrote: »

It's totally unacceptable that the largest university in Ireland does not have a functional gym.

Do you get what a university actually does? How about focusing on the services it does have, rather than the absence of one non-core part of its functioning, which in any case will only be gone for a matter of weeks? Here's a little something to make life easier for you...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=gyms+south+dublin

AodhDub · 02-05-2012 01:26AM

It's not great I agree. In the middle of exams the gym can be quite good for relieving some stress now that most of the clubs have stopped their training. We'll just have to settle with going for a run on the atheltics tra...oh.

A bog standard run on the grass will have to do for now it appears.

Raphael · 02-05-2012 01:29AM

The likely reason Crunch fitness closed now is because they won't get enough business between now and June to justify keeping the lights on. Campus is a hell of a lot quieter over the summer (it's awesome), and the postgrads and staff that'll be around are most likely not the people using an oncampus gym, for the most part.

There'll be a free, brand new one open at the end of June - as people have said, 2 months in the summer without a gym isn't even remotely a big deal.

mloc · 02-05-2012 09:52AM

Raphael wrote: »

The likely reason Crunch fitness closed now is because they won't get enough business between now and June to justify keeping the lights on. Campus is a hell of a lot quieter over the summer (it's awesome), and the postgrads and staff that'll be around are most likely not the people using an oncampus gym, for the most part.

There'll be a free, brand new one open at the end of June - as people have said, 2 months in the summer without a gym isn't even remotely a big deal.

I just don't understand how college authorities didn't manage to plan for this. There are in reality very few alternatives close by to UCD that offer a membership of duration two months or so.

OneOfThem Stumbled · 02-05-2012 11:34AM

mloc wrote: »

I just don't understand how college authorities didn't manage to plan for this. There are in reality very few alternatives close by to UCD that offer a membership of duration two months or so.

It won't kill you. :pac:

WoollyRedHat · 02-05-2012 12:08PM

You'd swear he was training for the olympics and was using Crunch gym.

Blut2 · 02-05-2012 12:26PM

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

You'd swear he was training for the olympics and was using Crunch gym.

Plenty of UCD students play sports (football and rugby most notably) or athletics to a high level. You can say "ah shure its only 2 months, youll manage like" but its still a complete disgrace for such a large university to not have any gym available for any length of time. When added to the tearing up of the running track it just shows a complete lack of respect for any athletes in UCD.

Maldesu · 02-05-2012 12:45PM

The gym build went over schedule as far as I remember. Crunch agreed to stay on for a limited time. The alternative was that you had no gym.
For the most part, students who used the gym will probably return home with only a fraction staying in the area - keeping it open isn't in their interest.

Replacing the track isn't feasible right now and probably won't be replaced for some time. It's not high on the priority list as the few track users are not considered more important as the student body as a whole.

WoollyRedHat · 02-05-2012 01:03PM

Blut2 wrote: »

Plenty of UCD students play sports (football and rugby most notably) or athletics to a high level. You can say "ah shure its only 2 months, youll manage like" but its still a complete disgrace for such a large university to not have any gym available for any length of time. When added to the tearing up of the running track it just shows a complete lack of respect for any athletes in UCD.

I understand that, I aprpeciate that... but is the season not over for such teams. Surely there is a gym that is offering two month membership or what have you in Dublin.In fact, I think a gym in Donnybrook is doing just that from what I can remember. I think disgrace is harsh, is it ideal? No. But considering the reason it's closing down, to be replaced by a state of the art student centre, with an olympic pool, well I think people will appreciate the wait. When the new gym and pool are done, correct me if I'm wrong someone, but UCD will have the best facilities in the country.
I agree with you about atheletic track though.

HavingCrack · 02-05-2012 01:35PM

Ben Dunne Gym in Sandyford allows you to pay by the month. Pretty cheap as well. There's also that Friarsland gym on the Clonskeagh Road than allows monthly subscriptions as far as I know.

mloc · 02-05-2012 04:14PM

HavingCrack wrote: »

There's also that Friarsland gym

It closed down a few months back.

Blut2 · 02-05-2012 04:44PM

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

I understand that, I aprpeciate that... but is the season not over for such teams. Surely there is a gym that is offering two month membership or what have you in Dublin.In fact, I think a gym in Donnybrook is doing just that from what I can remember. I think disgrace is harsh, is it ideal? No. But considering the reason it's closing down, to be replaced by a state of the art student centre, with an olympic pool, well I think people will appreciate the wait. When the new gym and pool are done, correct me if I'm wrong someone, but UCD will have the best facilities in the country.
I agree with you about atheletic track though.

The season isnt over for every athlete. And beyond that, anyone who participates at a decent level will be training year round, making it somewhat irrelevant if its in-season or out of season.

Its also not really about the practicalities of other gyms existing in the area, or whats going to follow the closure, its more about what having massively reduced facilities on campus says about long-term planning in UCD. If I was a 17 year old prospective international student researching multiple universities and I saw the disaster that is UCD's sporting facilities this year it would certainly make me ask questions about how the college is run.

Admittedly a lot of other areas of UCD are just as badly managed, generally one has to be a current student to gain first hand experience of admin/various faculties/the library etc though. The gym/running track situation is one thats highly visible to the outside world and as such really is disgraceful.

WeeBushy · 02-05-2012 05:09PM

mloc wrote: »

I just don't understand how college authorities didn't manage to plan for this. There are in reality very few alternatives close by to UCD that offer a membership of duration two months or so.

Flyefit in Ranelagh is €29 a month, can sign up monthly. Done. And its better than the dump that was Crunch.

Crunch is a business, they had planned to stay open until the end of April as that was when the new place was due to open but it ran over a small bit. It would not be in their interest to stay open as very few people would sign up for the two months. Most will have gone home.

UCD are about to open one of the best sports facilities in Ireland, give em a break! Is it ideal? No. Is it really that big a deal? No.

Raphael · 02-05-2012 05:35PM

mloc wrote: »

It closed down a few months back.

Seriously? Huh, Looked to be doing fine last time I was in there (~2 months ago)

mloc · 02-05-2012 05:48PM

Raphael wrote: »

Seriously? Huh, Looked to be doing fine last time I was in there (~2 months ago)

Yeah, my mom and sister were members and it's apparently wrapped up business recently.

asdf1234 · 04-05-2012 11:55AM

mloc wrote: »

It's totally unacceptable that the largest university in Ireland does not have a functional gym.

You think thats bad - the largest ice cream shop in the world doesn't even have a ****ing library!

IveSeenFire · 25-06-2012 10:37AM

I saw there was some large viewing opening to alumni on Sunday- does anyone know if it's actually open now though?

delta_bravo · 25-06-2012 10:38AM

Ring them but I believe it's opening today

IveSeenFire · 25-06-2012 11:01AM

delta_bravo wrote: »

Ring them but I believe it's opening today

Thanks man

bnt · 25-06-2012 11:03AM

It is open today - I've been in, had a quick tour, and have an appointment for a fitness assessment later today. You have to fill in a standard application form first (health & safety), then after you've had a look around you can say Yay or Nay. Current students may use it at no charge till September.

I hope the air conditioning is good there - it looks like it will turn in to a greenhouse when the sun shines, with all the heat from the machines and people working out. It's a "green" building, so I expect they'll use all that hot air to heat the pool. :cool:

errlloyd · 25-06-2012 11:04AM

IveSeenFire wrote: »

delta_bravo wrote: »

Ring them but I believe it's opening today

Thanks man

Just back, open 6am-11pm. Still ambiguity over the cost, myself and a friend got in free, but another friend got charged a short time later... may i also add, its ****ing incredible.

IveSeenFire · 25-06-2012 12:23PM

errlloyd wrote: »

IveSeenFire wrote: »

delta_bravo wrote: »

Ring them but I believe it's opening today

Thanks man

Just back, open 6am-11pm. Still ambiguity over the cost, myself and a friend got in free, but another friend got charged a short time later... may i also add, its ****ing incredible.

Haha I'm going in now. Sounds like it was worth the wait!

25-06-2012 12:50PM

Do you just need your student card to get in?

errlloyd · 25-06-2012 03:21PM

AdamD wrote: »

Do you just need your student card to get in?

Presumably normally you do, but today a student number seemed to suffice.

WeeBushy · 25-06-2012 03:58PM

The swipe system isn't functioning yet, it will be working by Wednesday they said. So for the moment you just fill out the form and use your copy of that over the next few days to enter.

I must say the gym disappointed me a little. It's fairly standard. I was expecting it to be better. Granted they are still waiting on some more equipment and weights, but it was still only grand. Similar to any other gym. I was expecting bigger things tbh.

The pool is immense, however, and the whole building is really really nice, but I was a bit underwhelmed by the content of gym.

No gym in UCD

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