Fingal County Council has announced that a new swimming pool is to be built in Balbriggan.
Castlelands, located one kilometre south of the town centre, has been chosen as the location for the six-lane 25-metre pool.
The new facility will also incorporate a changing village, a reception area with a café, and a viewing gallery.
The project has now moved to preliminary design and planning stages.
It is expected that the project will be ready to go to planning by the end of the year and, subject to funding, construction could commence by the end of 2026.
The swimming pool will be located south of the area's soon to be constructed Link Road, directly opposite the site of a proposed new school.
A design team led by UK-based company ReCreation has already developed preliminary plans for the facility.
Fingal County Council has said the provision of a public swimming pool was a key finding in a 2019 survey, which aimed to shape the order of priorities to transform Balbriggan.
The findings subsequently shaped the local authority's ongoing Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Programme.
The council said a study last year that reached out to local teens also highlighted the need for a public swimming pool in Balbriggan.
The Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Brian McDonagh, has welcomed today's announcement.
"As a former lifeguard and swimming teacher I am aware of the importance of swimming pools so this is great news, not only for Balbriggan, but for everybody in North County Dublin who will benefit from having a swimming pool in their area," he said.
"The provision of community infrastructure is a key priority for the council and it is great to see progress being made on this particular project."
Dr David Begg, Chairperson of the Our Balbriggan Leadership Group, which oversees Fingal County Council's Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Programme, said the swimming pool would have a profound and positive social impact on Balbriggan.
"This project is a symbol of the progress being made in Balbriggan - informed and shaped by the community - and which will provide a well-designed public facility for people to not only enjoy, but feel proud of," he said.
