LAST UPDATE | 10 Mar 2025

PROPOSED PLANS TO develop a lido, an outdoor swimming pool, at George’s Dock in the Docklands, in Dublin city, are back in the frame having previously been rejected by councillors over outstanding feasibility concerns.

Dublin city councillors will be told tomorrow morning that a public lido may be a viable option for the site on the northside of the city, despite previous votes not reaching a consensus to support the project.

The future of the site has been the source of a long-running debate after plans to build a whitewater rafting facility at the development were unveiled and later rejected following scrutiny by councillors and residents in Dublin city.

Since then, council management and politicians have been debating what to do with the site, setting aside €500,000 to explore new ideas, including finding intermediary uses for the area in the Docklands.

Original image of the whitewater rafting facility, first published by The Journal in 2019. Dublin City Council Dublin City Council

One idea was to develop a lido or public pool at the site. The project got some backing from councillors and members of the public and fit the bill under the development plan: a water activity facility.

Councillors rejected the plan at the first vote, claiming they could not green light it until they saw a feasibility study, so that they were aware of the operating and day-to-day costs of the outdoor swimming area.

Some confusion arose between council management and the local politicians at this point, it is understood, as the executives moved to shelve the idea and said it would not be conducting a feasibility review due to the rejection by councillors.

It is further understood that some councillors are concerned that giving the lido project the greenlight may have knock-on effects on other community-focused development plans, such as the Parnell Cultural Quarter.

A number of senior councillors, who have been overseeing this issue in north Dublin city for a number of years now, requested that the Central Area Committee be updated on the matter.

The request came as it was the view of the councillors that the issue was off the management’s radar and that there were no plans to move the site forward.

Concerns over the cost and apparent confusion over public opinion on the lido let to the Council to initially shelving the idea. Dublin Lido Project Dublin Lido Project

Local politicians on the Central Area Committee are due to be told tomorrow morning that the council’s executives still believe a public lido is a viable option for the use of the site, as well as a parks’ space, an events’ space, sporting uses and markets.

Management will also begin to move forward with feasibility studies, conservation work and hiring procurement consultants using the €500,000 that was allocated to the protect in the capital programme for 2025-2027.

Because of this, it could be up to two years before any construction takes place at the site.

A submission from the executives tomorrow morning will tell councillors that an up-to-date conservation and structural survey of the dock will be carried out later this year. 

“This will enable the City Council to progress to tender for contract to carry out necessary repair works to protect and preserve George’s Dock,” it explains.

Two feasibility reviews will also be carried out, the councillors will be told.

One, for the use of the site as a marketplace, will be completed later this year while another, for the use of the site as a sporting area, will begin at the end of this year.

The council also intends to look into how the site can be used for long-term projects, but the submission notes that planning permission granted to Georges Dock zones it only for “water use”.

Council management previously had serious concerns over the feasibility of the lido project on an ongoing basis, it is understood, despite the fact the development plan outlines that a permanent water activity facility be at the site.

The site was previously home to Oktoberfest, in Dublin. Alamy File Photo Alamy File Photo

The site has previously been used for Oktoberfest and Christmas Markets.  The Journal previously reported that there were fears by local councillors and the campaigners for the lido that the site would be “in limbo” indefinitely.

While some councillors have expressed that running costs may be higher than originally thought, tomorrow’s discussion is likely to force management’s hand to draft a feasibility study.