No progress on Glenalbyn swimming pool four years later, says councillor

A Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Councillor has expressed her frustration at the lack of progress in gaining access to Glenalbyn Swimming Pool in in Stillorgan.

Last week, Independent councillor Deirdre Donnelly tabled a question asking the local authority about the status of the redevelopment of the community pool.

Glenalbyn Swimming Pool was originally shut in 2013 due to safety concerns.

“The pool was used by a number of swimming clubs, special needs groups and schools in the area”, Donnelly said.

“They were all badly let down at the time and were told that a new pool would be built in its place.

“The communication provided by the Council management was poor from the outset.”

Several protests have been held outside the pool in recent years urging the council and Kilmacud Crokes, which owns the land surrounding the pool, to begin work on re-opening the facility.

However, progress has been slow and the council says it is still in talks with Kilmacud Crokes about how access can be gained to the pool.

“I was there back in 2013 with my son who was in primary school at the time,” Donnelly says. “He is now an adult.

“Over the last number of years, I have submitted questions and motions at Council and local area meetings.

“Other elected members did likewise.

“I even organised public meetings and there was a great turnout.

“I am extremely disappointed that the Chief Executive at this week’s meeting gave what is basically the same response we received four years ago.

“They continue to talk about the access to the area around the pool site which is owned by Kilmacud Crokes and tell us that ‘discussions are ongoing’.

“It isn’t acceptable at this stage, and I will be insisting on a proper update in January.”

Last year, Minister for Sport Catherine Martin was called on to publicly commit to the reopening of Glenalbyn Swimming Pool.

Friends of Glenalbyn, a campaign group consisting of local residents and councillors also presented a petition with over 1,200 signatures to DRLCoCo and the chief executive calling on the pool to be reopened as quick as possible.

Dublin-Rathdown TD and Minister for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan told a group member in an email that “unfortunately, the solution to this is not through political action – but rather through a number of legalities that will require the council and club to work together.”