The inside of the new pool at Lucan Leisure Centre
€20m swimming pool expected to open in near future
The handover of the Lucan pool commenced on Friday as the costly project years in the making nears completion.
The main and variable-depth pools at Lucan Leisure Campus have been handed over to Aura Leisure as the public opening of the pool draws nearer, although no official opening date has been confirmed yet.
Aura Leisure’s access to the pool and changing rooms will see them undertake training and final preparations ahead of opening the new facility.
The pool faced several delays and the rest of the leisure centre campus in Lucan had opened at the end of July 2025, with the pool yet to be completed.
The ‘dry side’ of the Lucan Leisure Centre opened on Monday, July 28 and figures obtained by the Irish Independent under a Freedom of Information request earlier this year show that costs as of September 2025 were €17.87m.
The cost of the project is now expected to be in the €20m range but was originally estimated to be €13.5m.
The sod was turned on the project in May 2019, which was anticipated to take 20 months to complete but several complications changed things, such as Covid-19.
An independent review was requested on the Lucan Leisure project after the delays led to the termination of a contract.
The termination of the deal with contractors PJ McLoughlin occurred in August 2025 after six years of delays in building the swimming pool.
The council assumed the responsibility of delivering the project in its final months following this and has steered the ship in its final months.
The pool was subject to test fills in January, nine months later than previously anticipated and the filtration system needed extra work in February, but the pool is now full of water and in the hands of the operator.
Despite choppy waters, the Lucan pool is now close to being enjoyed by members of the public, 12 years after the ‘Pool for Lucan’ lobbying campaign began.
A date for the official opening is expected to be confirmed in the near future.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
