A €16 MILLION sports and leisure centre was officially opened yesterday in Killarney, Co Kerry, where there had been controversy about such spending in a town already equipped with pool and gym facilities in hotels.
The new centre includes the first public swimming pool in the town.
There had been a division of opinion about the expenditure. The project was promoted by Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue, who had backed the project during his tenure as minister for arts, sport and tourism.
The centre, with a 25m swimming pool, sauna and treatment rooms, international basketball sports arena and hi-tech gym, was opened by Mr O’Donoghue yesterday. He said it would not be appropriate for him to comment on the current economic downturn.
Mr O’Donoghue defended what some commentators see as inordinate funding for sports clubs and projects in his home county of Kerry when he was minister.
He said during the five years he was minister there had been “substantial investment in sports facilities” in Kerry and in other counties. This was because the facilities were non-existent or underdeveloped.
