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20th December 2016
12:10am GMT
Sure, Michael Phelps swam in his first Olympics at the age of 15, and while it might be too late for most of us to get into competitive swimming, there's still time to perfect that breaststroke.
But if your gym doesn't have a pool (and you may not even have a gym membership), it can be tough to know where to go that won't demand a year-long commitment. Here's our guide.
This Dublin City Council run pool has a huge selection of available swimming times, from lane swims to adults-only to lessons and aqua fit classes. And at €4.50 for adults for a drop-in swim (and €2.20 for kids), there are far worse – and more expensive – ways to get some exercise in.
You'll pay €7 for a swim and steam at this southside pool, but it has deadly opening hours, until 10pm weekdays, with the last hour of the day reserved for adults.
This 20-metre pool in Dublin 7 offers adults' and kids' swimming lessons, aqua fit classes and even has a jacuzzi (fancy!) on-site. Family changing rooms make swimming with kids that little bit less stressful.
This was Ireland's first Olympic swimming pool, and it's one of the best places to get your 50m swim in. It'll cost you €7.50 for an early-morning summer dip, rising to €15 during peak hours – so it's not cheap but it'll make you feel like a serious swimmer.
Swan Leisure is a relatively new gym and pool complex in Dublin 6, with a 25-metre pool and full gym set-up, complete with a pretty extensive class timetable. It'll set you back €6.50 to go for a drop-in swim, or €7 to use the gym facilities.
You can pop in to use the pool and gym facilities at the Camden Court Hotel on Harcourt St for a one-off price of €12 – and that gets taken off your membership if you decide to join, but it's a once-off offer, and not a super-cheap one at that. If you really wanted to make a spa day of it, though, you could use the sauna and steam rooms while you were there!
It's currently closed for maintenance, but reopening on August 22nd – and at €4 for a drop-in swim, it's one of the best options in Dublin and has pretty decent opening hours, too.
