Hippocampe Ireland

About Hippocampe Ireland

Who We Are

Everyone loves beaches , the sea, and the great outdoors. But we  noticed that not everyone has access to them. We saw that wheelchair users had difficulties on Irish roads and paths, but when it came to beaches, the sea, greenways, and hills, they were practically  impossible.

So, we set ourselves the goal of making every beach in Ireland wheelchair accessible. We launched the HIPPOCAMPE all-terrain  beach wheelchair in Ireland in 2003, which for the first time  opened up beaches all the way around Ireland from Louth right around to Donegal. Its low centre of gravity allowed users the freedom to go to places never dreamed possible. Maintenance consisted of rinsing off the saltwater build up once a week. County councils placed them on  their beaches  for wheelchair users us use at their leisure

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The HIPPOCAMPE swimming pool model did away with the need for embarrassing hoists in pools that had a slope, and the user could go from the privacy of the dressing rooms straight into the pool under their own steam if they wanted. They are used in the National Aquatic Centre and other pools.

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The HIPPOCAMPE marathon model is used in road races and has featured in the Dublin City Marathon.

Conscious  that not every wheelchair user can transfer from their own bespoke wheelchair we started suppling the AccessRec range of beach access pathways, which allows wheelchair users to access beaches in their own wheelchair.