Study to consider development of open-air 'lido' pool in Cork city 

Work is underway on a river-use study which will consider the development of a lido or a public open-air swimming pool in Cork city.

Green Party councillor Honore Kamegni submitted a motion asking the chief executive what Cork City Council has done in support of progressing the Cork Lido, and how advanced plans are currently, to the council’s corporate policy group meeting.

Mr Kamegni was told at the meeting by Niall Ó Donnabháin, the council’s director of planning and integrated development: “Cork City Council has engaged extensively on the potential for a lido. 

"We received over 450 submissions supporting the provision of a lido on the riverbank or within the River Lee and/or the provision of a 50m swimming pool in response to the public consultation for the variation to City Development Plan to adopt the Cork Docklands Framework Plan.”

A variety of benefits associated with swimming were raised in the submissions including that a lido can act as a community building asset, that swimming contributes to positive health, swimming is an inclusive active recreation activity for people of all ages and abilities.

People also mentioned that a lido can act as a tourism destination, can contribute to sustainable travel by providing a local outdoor swimming resource which is currently only possible to access via car or bus at beaches outside the city, can provide opportunities for other compatible uses, such as saunas and hydrotherapy pools and that both a 50m lido and/or a 50m indoor swimming pool can provide space for competitive swimmers in Cork where there is “an acknowledged deficit”.

Mr Ó Donnabháin explained as part of the response to the motion, which received unanimous support at Monday’s meeting of Cork City Council: “The Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 includes ‘Objective 6.21, River Use and Management Plan’ which sets out Cork City Council’s intention to commission a river use and management study to examine the commercial and recreational potential of the River Lee and Upper Harbour area for all users and identify essential infrastructure and appropriate locations for the delivery of this infrastructure in partnership with key stakeholders.

“As confirmed to councillors during the City Development Plan ‘Variation No. 2 (Cork Docklands)’ process in July 2025, Cork City Council intends to prioritise this study, which will consider tourism, marine recreation and wider river use, including a potential lido. It is intended to have extensive engagement with key stakeholders such as The Cork Lido CLG group to inform the preparation of the study.

“The brief and tender for the study is currently being finalised and engagement with key stakeholders such as The Cork Lido CLG group will commence in Q4, 2025.”