Kells pool forced to close over major leak

A major leak at Kells Swimming Pool has led to the closure of the facility and officials believe it will be several weeks before it re-opens. The extent of the leak and the measures necessary to repair it are being assessed this week and, according to Kells Town Clerk, Jarlath Flanagan, the council is not currently in a position to give a definitive time as to when it will be open again to the public. However, he said it was likely to be a number of weeks. The leak, due to a pipe burst, was discovered after the Christmas break and the pool had to remain closed as the damage was assessed. The pool, which is one of the most widely used facilities in Kells, proved a major benefit to the local community in the run-up to Christmas when it opened its doors to the people of Kells who were without water because of frozen pipes. Pool manager Amelia Reilly and her staff opened up the facility on Christmas Eve to offer free showers to the many families who found themselves with no water over the Christmas period. However, when staff returned to work, they found that the facility had also been affected by the sub-zero weather conditions with a major leak preventing the pool from opening. Ms Reilly said that, as soon as the problems were sorted out, the swimming pool would re-open. The cathaoirleach of Kells Town Council, Cllr Conor Ferguson, said the facility was one of the most used in Kells, attracting people from over a wide area. “It is a huge loss to the community as it is a wonderful amenity and the swimming club does great work with our young people,†he said. Cllr Ferguson said that the pool would reopen as soon as the problem was rectified. Cllr Tommy Grimes agreed the pool closure was a big loss to the town, but he had every confidence in Meath County Council getting it back into operation. “It is a bad burst and it will be a few weeks, but I would ask people to be patient as Meath County council is doing everything in its power to remedy it,†he said. Cllr Grimes paid tribute to the staff of the pool who opened the facility up to allow families use the showers as they prepared for the Christmas celebrations. “This was something that was greatly appreciated by the residents of Kells,†he added. Cllr Grimes said the Kells Swimming Pool was one of the best-run local authority pools in the country. “It was built in the late '70s and opened by the then Minister for Local Government, Jimmy Tully, and seldom lost money,†he said. “Like hundreds of others, I am looking forward to going back to it as soon as it re opens,†he said.