Pop-up swimming pool is coming to Mayo town

One of the initiatives that Mayo Sports Partnership has been involved with in recent weeks has been a pop-up swimming pool in Ballinrobe.

Mayo County Council and Swim Ireland has joined forces with Mayo Sports Partnership and South Mayo Swimming Centre Committee to announce that the Pop-Up Pool will be coming to Ballinrobe from September 2025 for a minimum of 12 to 18 months. This modern fully-functioning 13-metre-long pool in a hard-sided covered structure is heated to 30 degrees, providing the perfect environment to learn to swim or enjoy being in the water. It will be located on Convent Road, between St Josephs NS and Ballinrobe Community School. With wheelchair accessibility and operated and staffed by Swim Ireland, it is “the pool that comes to the people”.

Swim Ireland CEO Sarah Keane said: "We are delighted to work with Mayo County Council, Mayo Sports Partnership and the Community Sports Hub to bring a pop-up pool to Ballinrobe. Swimming is a life skill and one that is vital for every child. The goal of the National Swimming Strategy is to create an island of swimmers and the Pop-Up Pool is a fantastic opportunity to teach children and adults in the area to swim. We look forward to welcoming the people of Ballinrobe and the surrounding areas of all ages and abilities to experience the pool and take advantage of the opportunities available."

This innovative facility demonstrates Mayo County Council’s ongoing dedication to providing quality sports and recreational facilities that support community wellbeing; by not only providing swimming lessons locally but also encouraging physical activity and social connection through participation in swimming. Tom Gilligan, Director of Services for the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District, welcomed the project, noting its role in promoting accessible, community-focused health initiatives. He added that "the experience of hosting the Pop-Up Pool will offer valuable insights to help guide the development of future amenities in the district".

The opportunities and benefits that the pool will provide for the local community are far-reaching and include school swimming lessons, private lessons, aquafit classes, autism-friendly classes and much more, all at an affordable price.

Dymphna Culhane, Principal of St Josephs National School, said: "Having the Pop-Up Pool next door to us will be a game-changer. We currently travel 25km for swimming lessons, and this will mean we can save time, reduce travel costs, and make swimming a more regular part of our routine. It will also make lessons more accessible for many local families."

This community-led venture came from the Ballinrobe Community Futures action plan 2023-2028, a Mayo County Council initiative, and was the number one priority identified in this process. The Pop-Up Pool will be the first stage in the ambitious plan for a permanent pool for the South Mayo area.

Frank Keane, Chairperson of Ballinrobe Community Development Council, said: “We are delighted to see that Community Futures is having an influence on the development of Ballinrobe. The swimming pool project could have a generational impact, bringing enormous social and economic benefits and helping to make this an attractive area for employers, businesses, families and tourism. We would like to thank everyone who has helped get this project off the ground, we have had tremendous support all along the way from our local councillors, Michael Burke, Patsy O'Brien and Damien Ryan, the members of the Claremorris-Swinford MD, Ministers Dara Calleary and Alan Dillon, Tom Gilligan and the Ballinrobe community."

Ballinrobe-based Cllr Michael Burke stated: “I am fully supportive of the Pop-Up Pool and I am aware that it is close to the top of people's priorities for facilities in Ballinrobe. The facility will be a great way for people to see how convenient it would be to have a swimming pool in the town, and I sincerely hope this will lead to the construction of a permanent pool in the coming years.

"This will give children a fantastic opportunity to learn to swim without the need to leave town for lessons."

The pool will operate a full timetable of swimming opportunities and build on the already strong sporting and recreational opportunities in Ballinrobe and the surrounding area

Charlie Lambert, Head of Mayo Sports Partnership, said: “All of us in Mayo Sports Partnership are also delighted to support the arrival of the Pop-Up Pool to Ballinrobe, the first in Mayo. Through Sport Ireland programme funding, we aim to make available programmes such as Introduction to Swimming lessons, Swimmin Wimmin, Swim for a Mile, Aquatics for All, Aqua Fit, Aquatics Academy and much more.

“The Ballinrobe Community Sports Hub, which is supported by Mayo Sports Partnership and Tacú Family Resource Centre, has had a hugely beneficial and positive impact locally in the seven years it has been operating, and it's good to see this continuing with this project," Mr Lambert added.

The Pop-Up Pool will be delivered to the site in Ballinrobe in the next few months and will be set up in a matter of weeks, ready for an opening in September 2025 for an initial 12 to 18-month period, but the committee will be looking to keep the pool on-site as long as possible during the next phase of the permanent pool project.

Mark Smith, Ballinrobe Community Sports Hub Coordinator and Secretary of South Mayo Swimming Centre Committee, said: “With this historic announcement of the first public swimming pool in Ballinrobe, we invite anyone and everyone to get fully involved in this project. We are ready to talk to interested groups and organisations, schools, businesses and the whole community about bookings for the pool, events and sponsorship opportunities. The greater the success of the Pop-Up Pool, the greater the chance of a swimming pool becoming a permanent addition to the area."

For more information about the Pop-Up Pool in Ballinrobe, email southmayoswimmingcentre@gmail.com.