Devastation in Edenderry after fire forces closure of swimming pool

In the same week as members of Offaly County Council gave their seal of approval for a new library and arts performance space for Edenderry a devastating fire at the local swimming pool has resulted in the closure of the much-used facility for the foreseeable future.

Two units of the Offaly Fire & Rescue Services – from Edenderry and Portarlington, attended the scene of a fire which originated in the plant room of Edenderry Swimming Pool, on the Carrick Road yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, January 16) and spent several hours bringing the blaze under control.

The pool building was occupied at the time the fire broke out, and pool staff have been widely praised for managing to successfully evacuate everyone from the premises successfully, and without any injuries being sustained.

Offaly County Council has confirmed that smoke damage was caused elsewhere in the building that houses Edenderry Swimming Pool, necessitating the closure of the facility in order for a full assessment of the damage to be carried out.

A message has been posted on the Facebook page of Edenderry Swimming Pool confiming that all classes and lessons have been cancelled “until further notice” and thanking all the fire crew members involved in bringing the fire under control. The post also pays tribute to the staff on duty at the time of the fire for their “due diligence, awareness and first class response” in managing to safely evacuate all those using the pool. “We have no phones and we will touch base as soon as possible. Thank you all for your time and patience, and we will keep you up dated as we progress through these testing times” the post concluded.