Move over, white water rafting, there’s a new kid in town. 

While our white water rafting dreams may have been dashed, all hope is not lost. Dublin City Council are now in discussions to install an outdoor swimming pool at George’s Dock, where they originally planned to install white water rafting facilities.

The new plan was presented to the Council by architecture firm Urban Agency, the same firm that proposed the rafting. We love a redemption arc. 

The lido would be a “seasonal” multi-use area, according to architect Andrew Griffin, with diving and children’s facilities set up during the summer. In the winter, the pools would be covered and replaced with an ice rink, concert venue and/or a Christmas market.

The area would also include a “rescue village”, an endearingly-named training facility for state bodies such as the fire brigade. Architects would design the mock village to stimulate urban flooding to train rescue teams. 

Another splash in the pan?

This proposal does sound like a lovely little facility. Training fire officers have contracted Weil’s disease and stomach problems from training in Dublin rivers (looking at that crystal-brown water, I can’t imagine why).

The outdoor pools could also serve as a free and accessible public area to people in the inner-city, according to councillor’s proposals.

But everything sounds great in theory. Some councillors were concerned about the time it would take to develop the new facility. They also questioned likelihood of locals being able to afford to actually use the facility. Similar concerns were raised about the white water rafting plans.

Councillors predict that the outdoor pools will cost 25 million euro- the same as the white water rafting facility. The council scrapped the plans due to logistical problems and the fact that literally no one asked for a white water rafting facility in the IFSC. 

Well, you know what they say- those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

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