105th Liffey Swim Set to Take Centre Stage in Dublin City

The 105^th Dublin City Liffey Swim, hosted by Swim Ireland and Dublin City Council, will take place this Saturday 13^th September, with Swim Ireland delighted to unveil the 2025 medal design (pictured) inspired by the goddess Anna Livia – the only Riverine* head among the fourteen on the Custom House to be represented as a woman. She overlooks the River Liffey from above the building’s front door.

For over a century, the Dublin City Liffey Swim has been the pinnacle of the open sea season.  This year, over 320 participants, mainly from Ireland, but including some overseas competitors, are set to complete the 2.2-kilometre swim, with swimmers enjoying a rare perspective of the city’s buildings and bridges. The swim will start at Rory O’More Bridge, passing under eleven bridges to finish at North Wall Quay before The Custom House.

Dubliners, and visitors alike, can watch and cheer on the swimmers as they travel up the Liffey, with the women’s race starting at 3pm and Men’s race at 4.15pm. With full tide set for 4.20pm, the women will swim against the tide, while the men will start on the turn of the tide. The rainy weather this week will also have an impact creating a stronger flow than normal.

12-year-old Doireann Nugent of Wicklow Swimming Club is the youngest female swimmer and twins Lex and Bruce Healy, also 12, of Portmarnock SC, whose mum Rachel Lee won the female race in 2014, are the youngest male competitors.

With seven swimmers over 70 set to race, Marie Kelly, who will celebrate her 77^th birthday competing, leads the way. Kelly took part in the first women’s classic Liffey Swim* in 1991 and has swum over thirty of them since.

73-year-old Eamonn Bermingham is the oldest male swimmer, the Dubliner, competing in his ninth Liffey Swim, grew up a member of Cormorant Swimming Club, where he also played water polo, he returned to swimming fifteen years ago following a long break. He is joined by Derek (Bimbo) Wilkes, a 1989 winner, competing in his 55th Liffey Swim and 1986 winner Greg O’Dwyer celebrating his 40^th Liffey Swim.

The swim will also see recent World Aquatics Championships medallists Boyd Freeman and Charlotte Reid, both of Aer Lingus Masters, compete. Freeman won silver in the Men’s 3K Open Water race, while Reid was part of the Aer Lingus Masters 4x50m Relay who won bronze.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Ray McAdam will be in attendance and will start Saturday’s races, he said ‘It’s a tremendous honour to attend the 105^th Dublin Liffey Swim and to have the pleasure of starting both the female and male races. I would like to warmly welcome all the competitors, particularly those travelling from outside of Dublin and overseas, to our wonderful city and wish them the very best of luck ‘.

ENDS

*Riverine Heads – The River God heads are carved into the keystones of Custom House (by Edward Smyth) and represent some of the major rivers of Ireland.

*Classic Liffey – First Liffey Swim for women on classic Liffey Quays under bridges course, events had been held between 1977 and 1990 at Islandbridge.

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