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Ben Lynch and Kristine Meenaghan with the rest of the Leisure Centre team, Michelle Carroll, David Ross, Mike Fitzgerald, Cynthia Buckley and Bogsie Ahern.

Over the past few months, the message from the Mitchelstown Leisure Centre committee has been that they are getting there, but despite their efforts, the opening date kept getting pushed further out. Now, it has finally arrived and the centre will be open for business this coming Monday.

The centre will also boost local employment, as it will be open seven days a week, with limited weekend hours initially and will employ a total of four full-time and three part-time employees.

Keenly aware of the hold ups, chairman Ben Lynch and manager Kristine Meenaghan are giving the public the opportunity to view the facilities and explore the complex before they open the doors for business, with an open day this Sunday, November 2, from 2-6pm.

"We’d love to see as many people as possible this Sunday, just so they can see the leisure centre for themselves. The centre will be open for business from next Monday and we’re already taking bookings for a range of classes, which will be rolled out over the coming weeks. These range from exercise and fitness to martial arts and gymnastics," Kristine told The Avondhu.

She added that the centre will support community groups across Mitchelstown and surrounding areas through the Fit for All classes with specific classes for different groups, such as the the Teen Drop In Zone for teenagers, the After School Club for primary school children, an Active 8 Retirement group and a Get Active, Stay Active starter programme for anyone who needs a helping hand getting back into activity. Full details of all classes will be available on Sunday at the open day.

Addressing the unprecedented delays with the opening, Ben moved to assure the public that the delay was because of a hold up with a grant to pay the builders, but this has now been resolved through the help of Ballyhoura Development.

He also stressed that the centre isn't just about sport and that the leisure centre will be a resource for people from all sections of the community.

"The open day on Sunday is really about giving everyone the opportunity to see what will be available immediately to the community and to see the potential for the complex as a location for any kind of leisure and social activity. As well as the obvious benefits of a more active lifestyle, the centre has the potential to be a venue for drama, musical events and business training, as well as hosting exhibitions or large scale meetings.

"We really aren’t putting limits on the uses of the facilities. In fact we’d be delighted to hear ideas from any member of the public that might encourage more participation and widen the number of attractions and activities available in the town," he added.

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