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Liffey - Version History


  Version Date Change Notes Author
 628/02/2011Full rewrite and layout change. I also added some content from comments and merged the rest. Seanie Byrne (contributions by Basil Bailey)
 507/04/2010See new entry point gringottsgoblin
 426/06/2009Stopper gets very nasty with high water. People don't realise how dangerous wrens is. People swimming have drowned in low water at the weir so beware. There are all kinds of sharp rocks, undercuts and metal at the weir . Ask Dublin Firebrigade they pull out the bodies. To the far right before the mill race wall there is a small shoot maybe 7ft tall and 2 meters wide. It often has logs and debris caught in it. A girl drowned 24th of June 2009 in it. She got sucked down it. Keep beginners away from it and from far right. If a beginner was to capsize on far right above the weir they run the risk of being sucked down shoot even at low water. No chance of rescue if someone was to go down it. Make them go river left and have rescue at bottom of river. Also place someone competent at river right to keep beginners away from this spot. Needs to be cleared for Liffey descent. Local
 330/12/2008see above gringottsgoblin
 308/10/2010The River Liffey is a typical East of Ireland river below Poulaphouca and Golden Falls dams. Sluggish Top, moderate middle, fast bottom. There is almost nothing of note in Kilcullen and Ballymore Eustace, and the first weir proper on the Liffey is i believe in Athgarvan. There is another in Newbridge and then one at Newbridge College. An old Weir exists at Morristown Lattin and small broken wiers at Millicent and Clane. Overall an astonishly dull 30 miles or more, but nice for touring i guess. Then we encounter Straffan. At this point the Liffey adopts a whole new character. Straffan Weir is a 12' monster, which faces slightly left, 4 fish tanks on the left with a sort of ramp chute immediately to their right. The long face of the main weir is stony, and finally on the extreme right is a vertical drop right by the sluice gate. What follows is the jungle a nightmare of trees, bends, shallows and snags for the unwary. The next weir is Temple Mills. Often underestimated this weir runs slightly right and is stony on the right but a fish chute straight down exists 1/3 of the way out from the left. In very high water an immensely closed grippy stopper exists to the left of this chute. Next up is Vanessa's Weir this is extreme right facing very dry and stony on the left (avoid except in high water) and a chute leading into two tanks in the centre and a taller easier weir section the right of this. After Celbridge Castletown rapids are marked by some premlinary wavelet things and then onto the main event which is quite straightforward and nice but watch out for trees. Below this is a spectre. Only seen when Leixleip drains is another Weir known as the "Weir that never was" but is actually St Wolstans Weir. If it is up it is a gentle right facing C weir (directly below St Wolstans Abbey. Looks simple, but beware the stopper is a hole and tremendously grippy..do not mess with this weir especially if water levels are high and it appears.. Below Leixleip dam are Leixlip rapids, a simple affair unless you are racing a K2 and get jammed for space (wtach the peirs of the bridge). Some way down is the Sluice. The weir is actually called Combers Weir and the SLuic formed when the old sluice gate collapsed leaving the entire contents of the liffey plunging through a 12 foot gap. This is on the left hand end of the right facing Weir. The old Weir is now much overgrown, but in high water a line exists on the extreme right hand end. Beyond this is Lucan which is actually two weirs connected. It faces extreme right. On the left is the old weir (easy straight down shoot) is connected to the New Weir by three large fish tanks which are pretty straight forward and very bouncy. Below this is the very steep New Weir. Long and high (almost 9') best shot sideways especially for K2s. Shortly thereafter is Anna Liffey os Shacklestons Weir. Right facing quite tall and easy with a chute approaching the middle to right. An easy weir but can catch you out. Following this is infamous Wrens Nest (also known as Devils Mills). This left facing v Weir is not tall maybe 6 or 7' at most. The right hand stopper is very tricky and tempestuous. The chute into it is just trouble so avoid. The usual line is just left of the centre fo the V. the left can be done with a bump and scrape, and in high water the stopper here can be really pretty nasty. Some distance on is Palmerstown the second V Weir bigger than Wrens and is right facing. Nice stopper on both sides, and good standing waves that tend to blow out in very high water. A big Weir at about 10'. Below this is broken weir or Glenaulin which is a very simple affair facing right as you approach. The next is Chapelizod which faces slight left and which is quite overgrown, and beneath a canopy of trees. A fish chute exists in the obvious place...centerish. The final Weir on the Liffey is right left facing Islandbrdige and is located at TCD boat club. This is a tidal Weir and is very substantial at around 11' but stony and easy. gringottsgoblin
 224/05/2008Edited layout to make it more readable John B
 121/05/2008 John B

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