Shannon Town’s recreational and sporting infrastructure will be given a significant boost with the re-opening of the Shannon Swimming and Leisure Centre at midday on Saturday, July 3rd next.
Minister for Defence and Clare T.D. Tony Killeen will perform the official opening, which will be followed by an open day featuring a range of fun activities, including a bouncy castle, face-painting, games and musical entertainment. The free open day is being co-sponsored by Shannon Town Council, who also part funded the Skateboard park, and is open to all members of the public.
16 full-time and 6 to 8 permanent part-time positions have been created by the €1.4m re-development which features a 25 metre swimming pool, gymnasium, skateboard park, climbing wall, two sports halls, dance studio, floodlit outdoor tennis courts, café/relaxation area, steam and sauna, treatment rooms, and wet and dry dressing rooms. All the facilities are accessible for persons with a disability.
Centre manager Karl Fogarty said the Centre will greatly add to Shannon’s sporting and recreational infrastructure.
He added: “Shannon is County Clare’s second largest town and the extended and renovated swimming and leisure facility will serve a regional population of more than 200,000 people. The Centre will generate significant social and economic benefits for Shannon town and surrounding areas, and its completion complements the continued revitalisation of the town. It will also further enhance Shannon’s status as a great place to live, work and visit”.
Ms. Martina Clancy, Chairperson of The Board of Directors of Shannon Swimming and Leisure Centre Co. Ltd. explained that the Centre will cater for the recreational needs of all members of the local community and will also host summer camps, school tours and gymnastic clubs from the wider Mid West Region.
Ms. Clancy added: “The closure of the facility in January 2009 left a void for people in Shannon and the wider community in terms of locally accessible leisure facilities. The redevelopment has been made possible through the hard work of the Directors, community fundraising and the considerable financial assistance provided by a number of different agencies, including Shannon Town Council which contributed 50,000 towards the cost of developing the Skateboard Park.”
“I now look forward to the people of Shannon and the surrounding region being able to enjoy a state-of-the-art development for many years to come”, concluded Ms. Clancy.
The project has been financed by a combination of savings, fund raising and corporate donations (€468,000), a Credit Union Loan to be repaid by The Leisure Centre over 10 years (€400,000), Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism Grant (€350,000), Shannon Town Council grant towards the provision of a Skateboard Park (€50,000), Social Amenities Fund Grant from the Department of The Environment, Heritage and Local Government (€30,000), and a Clare Local Development Company grant towards tiling, air handling unit and kitchen development works (€75,000). Meanwhile, Clare County Council makes an annual grant contribution towards the ongoing costs of the facility (€78,000).
The estimated cost of the renovation and restoration works, as well as the delivery of new outdoor facilities, is €1,236,673. The replacement of the Air Handing Unit, Retiling of The Pool and Surround, Fitting out of Kitchen and Lounge Area cost an additional €135,213.
For more information see www.shannonleisurecentre.ie.
Minister for Defence and Clare T.D. Tony Killeen will perform the official opening, which will be followed by an open day featuring a range of fun activities, including a bouncy castle, face-painting, games and musical entertainment. The free open day is being co-sponsored by Shannon Town Council, who also part funded the Skateboard park, and is open to all members of the public.
16 full-time and 6 to 8 permanent part-time positions have been created by the €1.4m re-development which features a 25 metre swimming pool, gymnasium, skateboard park, climbing wall, two sports halls, dance studio, floodlit outdoor tennis courts, café/relaxation area, steam and sauna, treatment rooms, and wet and dry dressing rooms. All the facilities are accessible for persons with a disability.
Centre manager Karl Fogarty said the Centre will greatly add to Shannon’s sporting and recreational infrastructure.
He added: “Shannon is County Clare’s second largest town and the extended and renovated swimming and leisure facility will serve a regional population of more than 200,000 people. The Centre will generate significant social and economic benefits for Shannon town and surrounding areas, and its completion complements the continued revitalisation of the town. It will also further enhance Shannon’s status as a great place to live, work and visit”.
Ms. Martina Clancy, Chairperson of The Board of Directors of Shannon Swimming and Leisure Centre Co. Ltd. explained that the Centre will cater for the recreational needs of all members of the local community and will also host summer camps, school tours and gymnastic clubs from the wider Mid West Region.
Ms. Clancy added: “The closure of the facility in January 2009 left a void for people in Shannon and the wider community in terms of locally accessible leisure facilities. The redevelopment has been made possible through the hard work of the Directors, community fundraising and the considerable financial assistance provided by a number of different agencies, including Shannon Town Council which contributed 50,000 towards the cost of developing the Skateboard Park.”
“I now look forward to the people of Shannon and the surrounding region being able to enjoy a state-of-the-art development for many years to come”, concluded Ms. Clancy.
The project has been financed by a combination of savings, fund raising and corporate donations (€468,000), a Credit Union Loan to be repaid by The Leisure Centre over 10 years (€400,000), Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism Grant (€350,000), Shannon Town Council grant towards the provision of a Skateboard Park (€50,000), Social Amenities Fund Grant from the Department of The Environment, Heritage and Local Government (€30,000), and a Clare Local Development Company grant towards tiling, air handling unit and kitchen development works (€75,000). Meanwhile, Clare County Council makes an annual grant contribution towards the ongoing costs of the facility (€78,000).
The estimated cost of the renovation and restoration works, as well as the delivery of new outdoor facilities, is €1,236,673. The replacement of the Air Handing Unit, Retiling of The Pool and Surround, Fitting out of Kitchen and Lounge Area cost an additional €135,213.
For more information see www.shannonleisurecentre.ie.
