‘It's a chance for Dubliners to experience the city from a different perspective'
The €18m centre on Custom House Quay will replace a vacant 1980s-era building owned by Dublin City Council, which is being demolished to make way for two new structures.
The centre will be operated under a three-year pilot programme by Swan Leisure, a company owned by Dublin City Council which also runs Rathmines Swimming Pool.
This not-for-profit arrangement aims to 'boost participation' in water sports like kayaking, rowing, and stand-up paddleboarding, while promoting community engagement and increasing accessibility for Dubliners.
Dublin City Council will retain ownership of the facility, with Swan Leisure managing day-to-day operations, staffing, and programming.
Green Party councillor Janet Horner said the centre marks a key moment in efforts to 'animate' the Liffey and open it up for everyday use.
'We've been pushing for a long time for more animation of the Liffey, and seeing more engagement, whether it's people kayaking, swimming, paddleboarding, whatever it might be,' she said.
'It's been really hard going. There's not a lot of access points on the Liffey, not a lot of pontoons that allow people to get down and actually use it.'
'There'll be a few activities happening over the summer, but it'll probably be a while before it's fully up and operational.
'We probably won't be able to kayak from there this summer, but hopefully very soon.'
She described the project as a 'key part' of treating the Liffey as a city amenity, giving people a new way to experience the capital.
Cllr Horner said her own experience of kayaking along the river was 'eye-opening'.
'As a Dubliner who's lived here almost my whole life, I had never actually been on the Liffey before,' she said.
'I'd crossed over it almost every day, but never actually been on it, and I'd imagine that's the case for a huge majority of Dubliners.
'It was really eye-opening, the first time I was in a boat on the Liffey, just how huge it is, what a fantastic amenity it is, and how overlooked it is in terms of how we engage with the city,' she added.
Asked about the future of George's Dock, previously earmarked for a controversial white-water rafting facility, Ms Horner confirmed the council is now exploring a different direction.
'The main thing at the moment is that the dock needs conservation works, whatever goes in there will require that first,' she said.
Dublin City Council is now looking at international models for open-air swimming facilities, such as lidos in cities like Helsinki.
'We were talking about a Lido a couple of years ago, and the council hadn't moved on it at all,' she said.
'We really pushed it a couple of months ago and it is back on the agenda now.
'There's a project team overseeing it. They're in the process of trying to develop something, but it's yet to get to any kind of viable business case or concept,' she added.
The current development plan sets out that any redevelopment at George's Dock must include a water-based activity, with a Lido the preferred option.
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