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Yesterday.

The Liffey Swim 2016.

Photographer Donal Moloney, who  writes:

Visitors to Dublin City’s quays on Saturday would be forgiven for thinking they had arrived in a some sort of weird and wacky Olympic village.

The Croker-bound crowds, in their GAA jerseys, flowed along the banks of the Liffey, as exhausted runners donning finisher medals oozed out of Phoenix Park’s Rock and Roll 5km road race.

Meanwhile, down at the convention centre, sci-fi and comic enthusiasts played out their favourite characters in costumes Sheldon Cooper would envy. But centre stage of the day had to go to the 97th Liffey Swim.

The 400-plus strong army of front-crawling participants made their epic 2.2km journey from the Rory O’Moore Bridge downstream to the Custom House.

Among them we met 79-year-old Sally Newell, an all-American gal who travelled over to swim the event with her 50-year-old daughter Amy, who lives in Dublin. “I took up swimming again when I was 54 and have been swimming 2km, three times per week ever since,” she said. “I tried running but I wasn’t so good at that.”

Sally is the oldest woman ever to participate in the event and her comfortable finish, alongside the rest of the women’s wave, was nothing short of inspirational.

As is the standard procedure for this event, swimmers exit the water and pass through the al fresco showers before they get to hug their loved ones and collect their medals.

Donal Moloney (Facebook)

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23 thoughts on “At Swim

  1. DubLoony

    The showers are chemical ones for decontamination, provided by Dublin Fire Brigade. Am sure loved ones appreciate the swimmers going through them first before the full body hug.

    Fair play to all involved, looked like great fun.

  2. Rugbyfan

    used to work with a girl who swam it every year. she’d be out sick the Monday after without fail. When I suggested she book as a day’s holiday she laughed it off and said sure I’ll be sick how is that a day’s holiday?

  3. J

    Any chance Bodger could post a few pics of the male Olympic swimmers….. just for some balance…. please

  4. Constance

    Ah anyone else spotted the last picture. What’s that in his hand? I know what I think it looks like but then again I’ve a filthy mind ;)

  5. Tish Mahorey

    “Young tikes” (AKA working class kids from the flats) swimming in the Liffey is portrayed as anti-social behaviour but the Liffey Swim is a brave and foolhardy pursuit by the middle classes.

    Funny that.

    1. Andrew

      Because an organised supervised swim with rescue boatrs is the same as your precious working class tikes’ jumping off roofs in to the river.
      Geh oura da !

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