DONEGAL County Council has passed a motion to reinstate a plaque from the old Letterkenny swimming pool and put it back on display.
Councillors Jimmy Kavanagh and Kevin Bradley brought the motion to today’s meeting of the Letterkenny and Milford Municipal District asking that the name plate be reinstated at the Aura Leisure Centre.
The plaque bears the names of the swimming pool committee whose fundraising endeavours led to the establishment of the much-used facility.
The plate has been in storage in Donegal County Council’s archives since the leisure centre, which was located where Letterkenny courthouse now sits, was demolished in 2010.
Memories of the old pool were revived recently by local history enthusiast Colm McDaid who ignited a conversation on social media.
“No pool would have come to Letterkenny without the swimming pool committee who fundraised and collected all over Donegal to get the much needed funds, also running the bingo in the Golden Grill for years on a Thursday night,” wrote Mr McDaid.
He added that his father Stephen, Victor Fisher and Frank Gallagher were the last remaining members of the committee. But it would be a fitting tribute to all those involved in making the pool a reality to have the plaque back on display, he said.
“I think the council should resite this plaque in honour of those forward thinking community-oriented men who formed that committee.”
Worthy
Councillor Kavanagh said that as chair of the Aura Leisure Centre, he too felt it a worthy thing to do.
“The plaque was removed when the old pool went and it has been in storage since,” said Councillor Kavanagh.
“I saw Colm’s comments on Facebook and I thought why not do it? There is no reason for it to be locked away when it could be on display. It would acknowledge the efforts of those committee members which is right because without them we might not have the Aura today.”
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