The Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Joe Carroll, with Ryan Cotter, Lifeguard, West Cork Leisure Centre - Dunmanway; Noreen O’Mahony, Senior Executive, Cork County Council; and Aoife Power, Administrative Officer, Cork County Council. Photo: Brian Lougheed

New cradle chair for West Cork pool

A new accessible chair providing easy access to a hydrotherapy pool for users with additional needs has been unveiled in county Cork.

The cradle chair at Dunmanway Swimming Pool is specially designed to safely transfer users from the changing rooms to the hydrotherapy pool.

The floor in the hydrotherapy pool can be raised allowing the chair to be wheeled directly into it before the floor is lowered again.

The hydrotherapy pool is a 7.5m warm water pool.

It is the only one in West Cork and is designed for physiotherapy, recuperation, or simply relaxation.

Attending the unveiling of the cradle chair, Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Joe Carroll, said: “The arrival of this chair makes the hydrotherapy pool accessible to even more people.

“We welcome users with additional needs to the facility on a daily basis and hope the addition of this equipment will open up the services to more users,” the county mayor added.

The chair’s stainless-steel frame has a powder coated finish, which allows it to be fully submerged in the water.

The cradle also features tension adjustable mesh to relieve pressure or increase support, suiting the user’s preference.

The pool facilities include two fully equipped accessible changing rooms.

Users are advised that pre-booking is essential.

Other facilities include a 25m swimming pool, a children’s pool, sauna and steam room, and a gym.