Thursday May 19th 1938 was a big day in Tullamore. The occasion was the opening of 146 new houses on O’Molloy Street and the opening of a new outdoor Swimming Pool by the Tánaiste and Minister of Local Government and Public Health Mr. Sean T. O’Kelly. By Damien Byrne
The local newspapers of the day describe the town as being “profusely decorated with flags and bunting” with O’Molloy Street being “richly festooned with the Tricolour being strongly in evidence”.
The Tánaiste on his arrival at Tullamore, at 12:15 p.m., passed through a guard of honour of Civic Guards, drawn up outside Hayes Hotel. He was met at the door of the hotel by the members of the Council and public officials, and proceeded at once through Patrick St., Kilbride St., and Clara Bridge, where his arrival at O’Molloy Street was awaited by many clergy of all denominations and representatives of the laity. Along the route large numbers of people had gathered, and the Tánaiste smilingly bowed his acknowledgements of their greetings.
At O’Molloy Street the Tánaiste was addressed by members of the Urban Council:
“You see before you 146 houses, all of them now occupied and erected and completed in a manner which we suggest is a credit to the architect, contractors and workmen employed. The present tenants have been removed from dwellings condemned by our Medical Officer of Health, and which are now demolished. The tenants now occupy comfortable and healthy houses at a low rent, only made possible by the provisions of recent housing legislation and the co-operation of the ratepayers of our town. We would like you to know that this Urban Council and its predecessors have availed of every opportunity provided by successive Governments to provide proper homes for the people.”
“You will also be asked to open a swimming pool, probably the only one of its type erected in an urban district like ours. We have no doubt this, will afford health-giving enjoyment to a large number of people, and it is our intention to have the advantages of the pool available for all. We trust that you will enjoy your visit here, and we can assure you that no effort on our part will be spared in trying to further the interests of the people of the town we have been elected to serve.”
Mr. Sean T. O’Kelly was then presented with a silver key by Mr. Peter Duffy, who represented Messrs. Duffy Bros. contractors for the houses in O’Molloy Street.
The Minister then visited the site of the Hospital which was then under construction and for which he had laid the foundation stone a year earlier.
He then went on to visit the construction of the new Salts worsted yarn factory in the site of the old Tullamore Jail.
The Minister was then guest of honour at a luncheon in Hayes Hotel where about 60 people attended.
The Minister was complimented on the changes that had taken place in Tullamore since he took office. Between 300 and 400 insanitary houses had been demolished and replaced with over 350 (202 in the last 6 years) new houses by the local authority for members of the working classes, and plans in connection with a further scheme have been lodged with his Department. It was hoped that generous financial assistance from the Government would be available to build decent houses not only for those who are at present residing in condemned houses, but also for the numerous families who are compelled to live in lodgings.
After the luncheon Sean T O’Kelly, the Secretary of the Department, Members of the Tullamore Urban Council and principal officers of the council and others went to the new pool situated off the Geashill Road. A great crowd awaited, the tricolour floated gaily, while multi-coloured streamers spanned the pathway leading to the entrance. The Irish Times reported that “the pool is built in the most modern style, 100 feet long by 36 feet wide and 8 feet at its deepest end. The water fed from a nearby river, is flowing and changes every 4 hours. There is a bathing house and lockers for 50 people.” The Irish Press reported that “Three thousand (sic probably 300!) people were present in the evening when the Minister opened Tullamore’s new swimming pool, which is unique of its kind”.
Sean T. O’Kelly remarked that it was his first occasion taking part in an inauguration of a swimming pool. He hoped that this example will be followed by other councils. He praised the Council Engineer Mr. Duggan for the skillful design of the Pool along modern lines and for how the purity of the water is safeguarded.
He went on: “For those who enjoy Health there are few better forms of exercise than swimming. The cleanliness which results from swimming exercise is a great aid to health. Sports fields and football grounds are important in their way, but they can generally be provided without the aid of the public authority. It is important to provide opportunities for people of every age and temperament to invigorate the body and occupy their leisure properly, swimming will always have its adherents. There was high medical authority for the benefit claimed to be derived from open-air swimming and it was generally accepted that the plunge bath is very beneficial. Swimming in cold water hardens the body and doctors tell us that it promotes full activity of heart and lungs and does not lead to over development of any group of muscles. There is also another aspect of the matter that must not be overlooked, in the year 1935 there were one hundred and thirteen deaths from drowning in the country, in 1936 there were seventy-three. Many, if not most, of these deaths might have been avoided if everybody learned to swim in their youth. Young people need little inducements to learn the art of swimming, but I would suggest that for a limited period, at least, instruction be provided in swimming.”
The minister declared the pool officially open.
There was then a swimming exhibition by Mr. J. Lalor of the Munster and Leinster Bank who performed a swimming and diving display. Mr. P. Egan of The Hall, Tullamore also performed.
Opening day in 1938- courtesy of Irish Newspaper Archives
The day was not without controversy. A number of councillors protested before the Minister arrived at Hayes Hotel, that the hotel was not flying the national Flag. It was stated the manageress of the hotel had refused to fly the national tricolour, and this was seen as an insult to the visiting minister. A flag was hastily brought from a house in O’Molloy Street and flown at the hotel and then the protesting councilors agreed to attend the function. The matter was resolved for the day. The “Flag Incident” as it became known, was reported in the national newspapers. During the following week a special council meeting was held and further correspondence on the matter flowed between the Hotel Proprietors and the Tullamore Urban Council.
The opening of the pool was described in great detail in the Irish Times on the 20th May 1938. It was “the most up to date of its kind in the Country, …(and) is the result of long striving on the part of Mr. Joseph Kearney (Council Chairman), whose suggestion at the urban meeting some years ago, was treated as a joke”.
In the Offaly Chronicle on 26 May 1938 it noted that “the new swimming pool was the centre of attraction for hundreds of people last Sunday. Old and young, rich and poor were all there.
The first gala was held in the pool in early September and was attended by Dublin Half Moon, Clontarf, Birr and Athlone Clubs. There was a diving display by Eddie Heron who was the Irish National Champion diver.
Tullamore was a small town with a population of 5135 people in the 1932 census. The 1932 housing act provided funding for the building of O’Molloy Street.
How Tullamore managed to get Government funding for the first municipal pool in Ireland is probably down to the progressiveness and perseverance of local councilors, exceptional Council officials, a listening Minister and luck!
In July 1934 at a Tullamore Urban Council meeting the pool was proposed by Mr. Patrick F. Adams, who said the “town has a dirty river and a rotten canal, with dead dogs floating about” and he proposed that public baths be provided for the young people of Tullamore. He promised to start a fund with a donation of £10 (about €840 in today’s money!). There were objections from other councilors but the proposal was seconded by the chairman Mr. Joseph Kearney and the motion was passed unanimously.
Other proposals were also put forward such as dredging the canal and making a pool out of it. There was concern that building a pool would exhaust the borrowing powers of the council and then they would be unable to proceed with a sewage system and other important public works.
The Chief County Medical officer was consulted. He stated that the pool could become a source of disease and that he did not favour the proposal and stated that an up-to-date sewage system was of greater importance.
In May 1935 the minister was not prepared to give approval for the pool.
In August 1935 plans were drawn up and prepared by the county engineer Mr. Duggan, presented to the council members and sent to the Minister. The solution to avoid the pool becoming a source of disease was to have a continuous flow of water from the Tullamore River, from up-river of the town. The solution for sewerage from the new O’Molloy Street houses was to let the waste into the same river, downstream from the town via holding tanks!
Sometime after the plans were presented to the council, local councilors Mr. Adams and Mr. Lumley had a lucky visit to the Minister in his office in Dublin, the Minister granted a sum of £800 towards its construction subject to some conditions.
In May 1936 the Local Government Department approved the design on the pool and awarded £800 on condition that the council will provide the remaining £1200 required. Work started on the construction of the pool in November 1936 and despite bad weather and other problems the pool was ready for opening in May 1938.
The Offaly Chronicle reported in June 1939 that “The cost of the Tullamore pool was £2,500, and £48 for the half acre of land, made a total of £2,548. To finance this they got a loan of £1,500 from the Office of Public Works at 4.75 per cent, over 25 years, a grant of £1,000 from the Government, and paid the £48 out of the rates. The expenses during the first year amounted to £77 16s. 7d (which included £2 per week during the season for the attendant) and the receipts totaled £40 11s. 10d. But remember that last season-— Tullamore’s first—was a very short and bad season, and there is no doubt that they will do much better this year owing to the fine weather and the new rates of charge, viz.: 3d. for persons over 16 years and 2d. for those under, irrespective of sex.”
It appears that the right individuals, possessing both imagination and initiative alongside the necessary technical skills, were in place in Tullamore in the 1930s’. A novel idea, a good plan and a chance meeting with the Minister ensured that grant aid was provided for the pool project. The organisation skills of Mr. Brenan the Town Clerk [and the managing partner in Hoey & Denning] and the expertise of the County engineer, ensured it came to fruition quickly. O’Molloy Street still stands as a testament to them. Mr. Patrick F. Adams, the initial proposer of the pool, died in August 1939. Seán T. O’Kelly the Tánaiste who approved the grant for the pool became the 2nd President of Ireland from June 1945 to June 1959.
The pool provided many years of enjoyment for the youth and adults of the town and beyond, fostered learning to swim and lifesaving skills, had a very successful swimming Club and provided a venue for local and national swimming and diving competitions. The Pool was finally closed in 2001 and was demolished soon after. More information about the pool at https://tullamoreoutdoorpool.com/
Damien Byrne wrote to us: I have been doing some research lately spurned on by an interview I heard on the radio with Yvonne Farrell , who mentioned the importance of the building of the pool to the town of Tullamore.
I have searched the local newspapers of the time and have visited Offaly Archives, met with Shaun Wrafter and seen articles by Terry Adams on your site.
I am wondering would you have any further information? I would be interested to know if you have a copy of a souvenir Gala program which I seen a picture of in one of the articles.
I have created a website https://tullamoreoutdoorpool.com/ which details some of the information that I have discovered to date. It would be great to get any additional information especially about the Swimming Club which by all newspaper accounts was very active and successful.
offalyhistoryblog 