Sunny Sunday on the Boyne

On a chilly but sunny Sunday a few of us hit the Boyne to clear the cobwebs off of the boats. With a couple of new faces, it was great to introduce people to the joys of Stackallen, the Diagonal and the Big A.

In Memory of Brita

Brita worked as a volunteer for the Make A Wish foundation. If people would like her work to continue then please help by donating in her memory.

Donate Here

Our Tragic Loss

Lir Canoe Club is devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of Brita Waters, one of our brightest and best members. We wish to extend our deepest sympathies to Brita’s partner, family and friends.

Liffey Odyssey 2018

A number of Lir paddlers once again took part in the 8th Liffey Odyssey organised by Conor Ryan and his team to raise funds for Crumlin Children’s Hospital. Fancy dress was adorned, drums banged and passer-bys on the quayside were asked to text CRUMLIN to 50300 to donate €4 to Crumlin Children’s Hospital (CMRF). (Donations are still welcome!)

A great day was had by all – including by the dog on the SUP!

Stronger Together

Canoeing Ireland is undertaking a series of workshops with kayak & canoe clubs across the country – and Lir went to the Dublin & East Coast one on 21st April. It was a very open and honest discussion focusing on three work streams; “What should CI stop doing, continue doing and start doing?”. This is all about CI rebuilding a strong base for all Irish kayak and canoe clubs. If you have any suggestions – contact info@lir.ie or Canoeing Ireland directly.

 

Paddling Season

Now that the Autumn is upon us, we’re gearing up for plenty of rain and with that comes plenty of paddling! Don’t forget that Lir runs club trips every Sunday, usually on the Liffey, the Boyne or in Wicklow (when we have enough rain). Here are some photos from our recent trips.

 

 

Lir at the Liffey Descent

Well done to all the Lir paddlers who did the Liffey Descent yesterday. And huge well done to James for a fantastic time!!!! Thanks to Brita, Martin, Alan, Michael and Paddy for doing rescue at Shakleton’s.

Finishing times:
James: 2:48:58
Iomhar: 3:11:13
Sean: 3:16:22
Niall: 3:40:59
Dave: 4:20:14

And after some fierce competition, the boys are all friends again!

Pool Sessions

Lir run pool sessions throughout the winter months in order to give members an opportunity to practice their rolling skills in a cozy environment. With a club trip to Cardiff on the horizon, we will have a pool session on May 21st to get some final practice in before we head off to the Cardiff International Whitewater Centre. If you would like to come to the pool session, please get in touch with our Safety  Officer, James O’Keeffe or use the ‘contact us’ button on the website.

This video is Lir’s Publicity Officer, Lena Doherty:

And here’s Lir member Sinead O’Brien:

Having Fun on Jacksons

Here’s some footage from a recent Lir trip on the Avenmore River in Wicklow. The drop featured here is well known to padders, it’s the infamous Jacksons. The water levels were quite low this day, but it’s still possible to have a lot of fun.

Here’s Lir member Keith Symes eddie-hopping his way down.

And here’s Lir’s safety officer, James O’Keeffe cruising along.

Evan McArdle Memorial Paddle

Lir members joined a large group of paddlers who came together on April 3rd on the Boyne for a memorial paddle for Evan McArdle. The paddle was to raise awareness for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust http://kevinbellrepatriationtrust.com/ whose help and assistance was invaluable to Susan and Jock in bringing Evan home.

To Honour Evan’s memory the group stopped on the final stretch approx 500m before Slane Bridge where Evan’s family scattered his ashes in a place he loved so much. This was followed by the obligatory paddlers salute. Evan would have turned up in shorts regardless of the weather, with that in mind many of the paddlers did the same. Well done to all who organised this event.