Thurles Leisure Centre gym remained closed to the public today (Sunday 12th April) to allow for staff training in final preparations ahead of the re-opening of Thurles swimming pool tomorrow.
This magnificent leisure facility here in Thurles has been closed for 11 months after tiles had been identified as lifting from the base of the pool, during May of 2014.
Now it is all systems go for tomorrow morning with the pool fully refilled with water and the temperature brought up to correct levels, [Between 77° to 82° F (25°-28°C)].
Tipperary Co. Councillor Seamus Hanafin, who has been most vocal in keeping local people up-to-date on this issue, has explained some of the reasons for the delays over the past 11 months.
“It was a case of ensuring that this project was undertaken to the highest possible standards using correct public procurement procedures. It was most important also that through these procedures, an engineer be identified with the necessary hands on knowledge and experience; thus ensuring that into the future there would be no further recurrence of previously identified structural problems and the inevitable waste of taxpayer funding,” stated Mr Hanafin.
“Once the correct tiles and adhesive had been identified and replaced, it was imperative that expansion joints be allowed to set, before water was slowly added; to give the tank time to properly expand as massive water pressure was increased. A ‘back wash process’, latter which flushes water in the tank back through sand filters, had also to be undertaken to flush out all / any dirt which may have accumulated from previous filtration,” continued Councillor Hanafin.
The Councillor also stated that; “To further ensure a successful conclusion to previous issues the Co. Council had also re-commissioned both the filtration and chlorination systems, as part of this latest refurbishment.”
From tomorrow (Monday 13th April) the Thurles Leisure Centre will re open at 7.00am, as was previously usual for a Monday, with valued customers once more having full access to the Swimming Pool, Sauna, Steam Room and Spa Pool, hopefully long into the future.
The fact that our own town council (later abolished and the money raised by it in our town from rates, parking, rents etc stolen from its accounts by TCC) had to fund the building of this swimming pool was a disgrace in the first place. It was North Tipperary County Council’s responsibility to build a pool not the town councils. They refused to do this. Yet funded road/swimming pool projects in Nenagh and Roscrea. This the same council is now going to earn money with this pool that is going to be sent to Nenagh or Clonmel and spent elsewhere in the county.
I really wish the people of Thurles and Templemore (lets not forget how that town too was neglected for years by NTCC) would stand up go out and demand our bypass, recycling centres and other projects this council never provided/completed for us. Stop paying rates, rents, parking until we are listened too and treated equally. http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/town-blocked-in-protest-over-road-234810.html one example recently in Buttevant.
Unified council with a focus on Clonmel and Nenagh it’s only going to get a lot worse. I’m surprised the money allocated for the town park and redevelopment of Liberty Square wasn’t redirected to other projects like the money Templemore Town Council had allocated for refurbishment of the town hall.
To add Thurles.ie website still down almost a year later and no mention of the bypass on TCC website.