John Dolan: Swimming is so good for you... we need more pools in Cork

I’m not saying that Ireland has endured some perishingly cold summers in the past - but I do recall one chilly day on a beach in Sligo where I decided to go into the grey Atlantic for a warm!

Not this summer, of course.

The long, hot, dry spell provided ideal conditions for a dip in the many beaches off the Cork coast.

In the past month alone, I’ve taken the plunge in the crystal clear, refreshing blue waters at the beautiful hidden gem that is Scairt Beach on Bere Island, and had a swim with the kids in the mild tidal waters of Robert’s Cove.

The buzz of a sea swim afterwards is something to behold, a feeling that is shared by so many Cork people who avail of the stunning beaches on our doorsteps - with some hardy souls enjoying a dip all year round.

The other week, my daughter joined scores of other youngsters who took part in a Water Safety Ireland summer camp at Fountainstown beach.

Catering for all levels, from beginner swimmers up to lifeguard standard, the emphasis was on fun and safety, building up children’s skills and confidence, while teaching them about some of the perils of sea swimming such as riptides.

Teaching your child to swim is one of the best life lessons you can give them. The benefits both physically and mentally are huge.

However, for a nation that is surrounded by water, I often wonder if we do enough to ensure this vital skill is passed on.

Of course, a dip in the sea is not always possible - or even desirable away from the warmest months - but do we have enough swimming pools dotted around the country to cater for the demand?

The answer, I would suggest, is a resounding no.

A recent report by Swim Ireland found that each pool in Ireland equates to 80,000 people, whereas in Scotland each pool equates to just 14,000 people.

Furthermore, more than 55% of total pool space on this island belongs to private hotels rather than community, pay-as-you-go public centres, while some areas can have large backlogs for swimming lessons.

Large swathes of counties such as Cork have no access to a pool, and if a child misses that window of opportunity at a young age to learn how to swim, it is often hard to catch up in later life.

My daughter regularly attends swim classes in LeisureWorld in Bishopstown, and it is such a thrill to know she will have this skill for life - and that she can turn to it at any stage in the future to bolster her physical and mental health.

She is also lucky enough to attend occasional pool outings with her school.

But are such facilities widespread enough across the country?

The statistics suggest not.

Around a quarter of adults in Ireland - about a million people - cannot swim and are deprived of this outlet for exercise. Many more feel uncomfortable or unconfident in the water, even if they possess basic swimming abilities.

This is significantly more than in the UK, where an estimated 17% of adults cannot swim.

For an island surrounded by water, this is a poor showing. Indeed, facilities in the Republic of Ireland compare unfavourably even in contrast to the North.

You may not be aware that the European Aquatics Championships are currently taking place in Paris, and that Ireland has brought a 24-strong squad.

However, a look at the squad, which is headlined by Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen, from Co. Down, suggests Northern Ireland is heavily over-represented.

Apart from the odd outlier, such as Cork’s Daniel Cassin, who represents the city’s Dolphin Swimming Club, most of the team are based across the border, while proudly flying the flag for Ireland. Swim Ireland operates as the single national governing body for swimming, diving, and water polo across all 32 counties

What a shame that a large county like Cork, with so many great places to swim along its coast, cannot be a hotbed of such talent.

Becoming a top-grade swimmer is a gruelling pursuit involving great sacrifices, but more pools in the Republic would certainly help to unearth more stars of the future, as well as providing a solid base for many more recreational swimmers of the future.

Recently, a call went out to Cork County Council for a pool to be opened in Midleton.

An ongoing countywide review of council-owned leisure centres will likely decide whether it is feasible to build a swimming pool in the rapidly-growing town.

Projections in the County Development Plan show Midleton’s population growing to 27,854 by 2034 —making it the largest town in Co Cork — while neighbouring Carrigtwohill will hit the 15,000 mark.

Far smaller towns already have council-run pools, including Dunmanway, Cobh, Youghal, Fermoy, and Mallow.

Chairman of the East Cork Municipal District Council, councillor Rory Cocking, called on the council to build a swimming pool to serve his local population, after he received numerous representations from constituents about this and the lack of other sporting facilities in the locality.

Mr Cocking said that, in general, Ireland is lagging behind other countries when it comes to providing local authority-run swimming pools.

Local Social Democrats councillor Eamonn Horgan maintained that if a leisure centre was developed in the town, it would be so well used it would pay the council back “in leaps and bounds”.

Noreen Brennan, the most senior council official in the region, said there is an ongoing review of the operation of such services in the county, and she would revert back to councillors when she receives information from the officials carrying it out.

Let’s hope a new pool for Midleton gets the green light.

The benefits of regular swimming are many and varied, and encouraging more people to do it will, at a stroke, greatly improve the health of the nation.

We might not get an Olympic champion out of such a move, but expanding Cork’s pool facilities would be worth its weight in gold on so many other fronts.