“I think hope has just been lost,” says Linda Clarke, who joined the Glenalbyn Swimming Club when she was seven. “For decades, it has brought children, families and local swimming clubs together in a healthy and positive space,” he says. Mary McMorrow, interim chief executive of Swim Ireland, says the “shocking” reality was that 57 per cent of swimming pools in Ireland are now provided by hotels. Zoe and Lucy Hanley (13) with Abby (10) and Alex (6) Nolan outside the closed Glenalbyn swimming pool. Linda Clarke, another regular, says the pool’s closure is “just incredibly sad” and had a far-reaching impact on some people’s lives.

Source: The Irish Times April 07, 2026 15:31 UTC