University of Galway has outlined plans for its new water sports centre, following planning approval by Galway City Council.
The proposed centre will” primarily aim to offer first-class facilities for rowing, kayak and sub aqua clubs at the university and their 150-plus members”, it says.
“The new development will also house a gym, which will be open to other athletic clubs on campus, with the potential to cater for members of all other athletic clubs in the university and their 350 plus student members,” it says.
“At the University of Galway, investment of this nature enables us to support our students and our coaches, their achievements and their sporting endeavours,” its president, Prof Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said.
“ As a university on the Corrib, with longstanding, outstanding success on the water, it is our hope that enhanced facilities will empower excellence, further success and the wellbeing of our students,” it said.
University of Galway Director of Sport Mike Heskin said the centre is “designed to provide state of the art training facilities for watersports that the University of Galway has excelled in, both at national and international level”.
“In 2022, our rowing club took home the biggest medal haul from the nationals. We are proud to have had two Olympians on our teams in recent years – Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh. Now we have an opportunity to provide top grade facilities to help others excel,” he said.
“The development has been approved for planning permission on a site on the western bank of the River Corrib, near the Alice Perry Engineering Building on the North Campus, the university said.
It includes:
- Reception; first aid; changing rooms and bathrooms; gym; training room; comms room; offices; test room; café; mother and baby room.
- Drying room; plant room; function room kitchenette; equipment storage facilities; a new storage shed for rowing.
- Two floating pontoons on the bank of the Corrib.
- A pedestrian and cycling riverside greenway.
The university says no detail is available in relation to projected costs “for commercial reasons”.
“Following the confirmation of planning approval by Galway City Council, the University of Galway will engage with a design team before going to tender for construction,” it says.
