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Re: Fundraising for new Pool

Posted by Alan King on June 22, 2013 at 20:15:33:

In Reply to: Re: Lake Swimming in the Late 60s posted by BrIan Hoban on June 21, 2013 at 14:24:38:

Hi Brian, I wonder if the swimming gala you mention took place in 1962 as this was part of a huge fundraising event to raise money for a swimming pool to be built in Castlebar. Not any old pool, but one designed by a J.F. McCormack, Architect from Dublin & based on the Olympic Pool at Melbourne and incorporating international standard measurements. After years of debate, the local UDC announced plans for a swimming pool to be built in the town.
Castlebar Development Association was behind the plans & managed to get the Dept.of Health to transfer a 2-acre site from St.Mary's Hospital to them at Lough Lannagh. The cost was estimated to be about £21,200 & the plans included a toddler's pool, car parks, dressing rooms, spectator's stands, filtration & chlorination plants.
There was great joy in the Town with this news & a model of the proposed pool even went on display in one of the shops in Main Street.
The amazing thing about this project was that it was not supposed to cost the ratepayers a penny & that all costs would be raised by the above organisation by the holding of carnivals, draws & pools.
Fundraising began with great gusto & an event called the "Gigantic Holiday Festival" took place in the Military Barracks with various bands, a fair, fancy dress, etc & a swimming gala took place up in Lough Lannagh.
A sizable amount of money was raised but nothing near what was needed. The U.D.C had given an undertaking that no ratepayers’ money would be spent & so plans were scaled down.
Eventually, the committee realised that they couldn't raise the money & as a result, the project was shelved and that's when Castlebar lost its chance to have an Olympic sized swimming pool. The town had to wait until 1966 when a pool was built in St Bridget’s Crescent.

 





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