Press Release

City Swimming Baths Refurbishment Welcomed

Monday 10th December 2007

The City of Derry Swimming Club has welcomed the commencement of major refurbishment works at the City Swimming Baths at William Street. The Derry City Council owned leisure facility will temporarily close from today, Monday 10th December until the end of January to facilitate the conversion from oil to natural mains gas heating and essential maintenance work.

Seamus McAnee of the City of Derry Swimming Club and City Swimming Baths Users Group said the refurbishment work was a positive thing for leisure services and he welcomed the Council’s commitment and investment in the facility.

The City of Derry Swimming Club was set up in 1959 a year after the Baths were first opened, and since then has played a pivotal role in the teaching of thousands of Derry children and adults the ways of the water.

Seamus McAnee holds the City Swimming Baths very dear to his heart. “Since the inception of our club we have used the City Swimming Baths as the central location for our members. It is a much used community facility for the people of the Bogside, Brandywell, Bishop Street, Creggan and surrounding areas. It’s a vitally important asset for the local community and plays an important part in the daily life of the entire local community. To many it’s not just a sports facility, it’s a meeting place, and an integral part of the local community.”

An indication of its importance to the community is that during the troubles the “Baths” never received any direct damage and at one stage was the only building left standing in Upper William Street.

Local swimming coach Carmel Gorman has been responsible for the school swimming programme at the City Swimming Baths for the past 30 years. She believes the City Baths’ strategic location in the heart of the city plays a significant role in its success.

“Its location makes it very accessible to public and is where the majority of people in this city first learned to swim. They come here at the age of 6 and continue getting lessons right through the schools system. Many of the City of Derry Swimming Club members continue to be members until they are 16 and 18, so the City Swimming Baths is an important facility for them.

“I have seen a lot of changes at the Baths down through the years and have seen several generations coming in for swimming lessons and its great to see such an interest in this important life-skill. The local community has very close ties to the City Baths and it is a much respected and loved local amenity. Even at the height of the Troubles the building was untouched and swimming clubs from across the North and further afield felt safe to come here. The main thing about the Baths is the warm and friendly atmosphere here, everyone knows each other and its a friendly place to come to .The North West Schools Swimming Association which represents the schools that use the City Baths are really excited about the work that is being carried out as part of this refurbishment programme, and look forward to returning to the pool in January 2008,” she said.

The City Swimming Baths were first opened in October 1958 and was built on the site of the former Watts Distillery. The building still retains the natural façade of the old distillery, thus adding to its historic importance for the city. It was the only 25 metre indoor pool in the Northern Ireland and swimmers from across the region used to travel to use the facility.

“In the 1960s the baths were hugely popular and was a main focal point for young people in the city. The facility was managed by a Scottish swimming coach called Frank Bradley, who brought a lot of expertise to the club and helped produce a number of successful Irish champion swimmers. In 1965 it hosted the Ulster Swimming and Diving championships and two local divers, Brendan McGowan and Neil McLaughlin, were successful Ulster champions. The multi talented Liam Ball, who himself swam in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich and Martin McGrory who competed in the Commonwealth Games, also trained on a regular basis at the City Swimming Baths,” Seamus added.

The City Swimming Baths gets its name from the fact that it was used as public baths at a time when many homes in the surrounding areas did not have one.

“The Rossville Street Public Baths had been closed and the hot bath facility was transferred over to the new facility but these were eventually phased out when the facility was revamped in the late 1970s and early 80’s. Other trademarks of the premises including the diving boards were removed and new features such as a fitness suite and steam room were added, thus enhancing the facility to make it more appealing to the local clientele.”

Over the years it has been the Baths Manager’s responsibility to ensure the upkeep and maintenance of the pool complex and no one took this more seriously than the previous manager of twenty five years Michael Doherty who was diligent in making sure that all repairs were carried out as a matter of urgency, cleanliness was a top priority, no deterioration was ever allowed to develop and the necessary modern facilities were added as required.

Michael’s son, John Doherty is the present Manager of the City Baths. He says staff at the City Swimming Baths take great pride in teaching the public water safety and first aid and providing leisure facilities for the local community.

“The City Baths has a long history and is a well established base for excellence and has been awarded an RLSS Approved Centre status. Given its history and service to the local community, the City Swimming Baths remains an institution in leisure provision for the people of the city,” he said.

As well as swimming lessons, the facility is also used by members of the Derry Sub Aqua Club over the past 30 years. According to John Doherty scuba diving is one of the fastest growing ‘non spectator’ sports and is proving popular at the William Street site.

Interest in swimming lessons continues to be phenomenal in the city. Seamus McAnee explained: “The demand for swimming lessons is increasing all the time. We are inundated with calls from parents who want their children to learn to swim. We have a waiting list but we endeavour to teach as many children as we can. The focus on healthy living and exercise has also increased interest in the sport and that's a good thing.”

The refurbishment work at the City Baths is expected to be completed at the end of January next year. In the meantime swimming and diving sessions are being facilitated at the Council’s other leisure facilities.

“While it may cause some inconvenience to our members, we feel its important that this refurbishment and maintenance work is completed and are delighted that money is being invested and will continue to be invested in this important and popular facility and look forward to it reopening,” Seamus added.

Members of the public looking for information about the temporary closure or to find out details of swimming sessions are asked to contact the City Swimming Baths at 028 71 264459.

Ends

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