Letterkenny traffic woes leave gym with 'no choice' but to relocate

Mark Hegarty, who runs UForea fitness, and his team are currently undertaking the move

placeholder image — Mark Hegarty, who runs UForea fitness, and his team are currently undertaking the move

Having seen their membership halved, Mark Hegarty and the UForea fitness team believe the best way for their gym to survive is to move into Letterkenny - but says other businesses might not get the chance

A Letterkenny gym owner has said he has no option but to relocate due to the traffic issues in the town.

Mark Hegarty, who runs UForea Fitness, and his team are currently undertaking the move from JR Business Park Lower in Dromore, adjacent to the dual carriageway, into central Letterkenny on the Canal Road.

“We feel as if we have no choice,” Mark tells DonegalLive. “Our membership has halved since the Polestar Roundabout and four lanes were opened, due to the difficulty in getting out here, particularly in the evenings.

“Members and even coaches have been experiencing delays of up to 45 minutes for the drive that should take five and that has been impacting schedules and classes.”

The Polestar roundabout opened in October 2023, and even before that, the gym, which is extensively stocked with very competitive prices - day passes are €7, three months for €120 and 12 months at €390, as as well as student deals - managed to hurdle other challenges, having opened in August 2019.

“We survived Covid,” Mark says. “It was tough at the time but we worked within the various group restrictions and lockdowns and it also gave the chance for clients to continue working with coaches externally, by Zoom meetings and on social media.

“We thought we’d seen the worst of things but the traffic really has had a very serious impact on membership, so we’ve made the decision to move into Letterkenny. We’re down 50 percent in two years and a continuation of that would not be sustainable.

“In Dromore, we didn’t have that much footfall in passing customers but there was peace and we would have members from places like Manorcunningham, Newtowncunningham, Convoy and Drumkeen and it wasn’t too far from Letterkenny. Look, it’s sad to leave and we’re very appreciative of the landlord, who has been great to us both here in Dromore and in finding the new premises.

“Our gym at Lower Dromore will be closing today and we’ll be opening our doors at our new premises on Canal Road, Letterkenny, on Monday week, July 14. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause during the transition. We’re working hard to ensure a smooth move.

“It’ll be sad to leave, but there’s excitement too, I suppose, being in the town. It might not be what we planned to begin with, but we can embrace it and will look forward to it. To be honest, we’re lucky we have the chance to continue in business, and the fear for me is that others in the same boat might not be, until a solution to the traffic in Letterkenny is found.”