Lir Supports Ice Mile Swim

The annual Ice Mile Swim takes place in Lough Dan, usually in February when the water is extra cold! Lir are happy to provide kayak support for this event, so we can be seen on the lake shore adding layers of neoprene and thermals while the brave swimmers are removing their layers and braving the icy water!

Lir’s Snore on the Nore

Lir’s annual open canoeing and camping trip was featured in the latest edition of The Put In magazine. You can read all about it here:

http://theputin.eu/magazines/Issue4/mobile/index.html#p=46

It’s Raining Paddlers

Finally, some rain! Last weekend the Lir trip had 9 paddlers running the stretch from Rathdrum to the Meetings, a beautiful stretch of river. At the same time, Lir’s longtime member John “Peaches” Byrne ran the more challenging Dargle, also in Wicklow.  Here are some photos and video.

Cranafest 2015

Lir made their annual pilgrimage to Buncrana in Donegal for what has now become one of the biggest paddling events of the year – Inish Adventures’ Cranafest!

What makes Cranafest so popular? It’s got something for everyone – there’s great coaching skills, focusing on beginners, intermediate or advanced skills; there are slalom competitions and the infamous boatercross race, the advanced of which includes running the grade 4 “Claw”, not for the feint hearted! And if all of that sounds a bit too hectic, there is a fun raft race as well so there’s fun to be had, no matter what your interest or level.

And the real beauty of Cranafest, is that the whole weekend takes place on the Crana River, which runs through Swan Park in Buncrana and includes sections of grade 4, grade 3 and grade 2 all in walking distance. The park provides a hub for paddlers, with dedicated parking space for storing boats, paths for portage, and a central meeting point for lunch stalls and outdoor shops to pedal their wears.

Lir’s tradition is to book The Coach house B&B, which is right on the bank of the river. We travel en-mass for this event and enjoy the opportunity to have a club dinner on one (or both) of the nights, as well as enjoying the craic in the over-crowded local pubs. It’s a fantastic weekend od paddling, blended with some great socialising.

We’re already looking forward to Cranafest 2016 and hope to see you all there!

The Descent of Lir

Canoeing Ireland hosted the Liffey Descent on 26th September 2015, and as always Lir were there for both participation and rescue support. It was a tough competition this year, so the smack talk was plentiful!! 🙂

James “Razor Sharp” O’Keefe endured a tough training regimen which involved towing Catherine up and down the Malahide Estuary the week before the race. Sources close to James have photographic evidence of this training, but are too afraid of Catherine to make them public! James shaved a valuable 4 seconds off his 2014 time and finished one place higher.

Lir’s Chairman, Iomhar “the Understated” Noone couldn’t take part in this year’s race but has reportedly challenged James for the 2016 race. Watch this space…could this competition drive a wedge into the heart of Lir? Or is it more likely to drive us to celebratory spicy wedges after the race?

Sean “the Veteran” Ryan completed his 12th descent and as we have come to expect of Sean, he did it in style and with a great big smile! Sean is Lir’s most photographed member and once again the paparazzi snapped him at several of the weirs. Allegations of bribing the photographers are “unsubstantiated rumours”, claims Ryan, who maintains that it’s his devilishly handsome good looks that draw the photographers in year after year. James had no comment (none that we could publish that is).

Paddy “the Newbie” O’Colmain made it two-for-two with his second clean run. He smashed his previous year’s time and now has 4 hrs 11 mins to beat next year. Can this be done? Discussions are already underway about boat choice for 2016.

Meanwhile, Lir members were on-hand at Shackleton’s Weir, together with some Swift Water Rescue, to provide rescue assistance for the race. It was an eventful day at the weir with plenty of capsizes to keep everyone busy. Well done to everyone who helped with rescue, and our Club Secretary for coordinating the team; the Descent couldn’t take place without rescue teams volunteering their time.

Photos of the rarely-spotted James:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/liffeydescentphotography/21858175715/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/liffeydescentphotography/21846273512/in/photostream/

Liffey Odyssey

The Liffey Odyssey is an almost-annual fundraising event with a difference! Organised by members of the paddling community, paddlers and non-paddlers take to the Liffey at the Garda Boat Club and paddle through the city centre, finishing at the Three Arena. Most paddlers use open canoes, but this year’s event saw some rafts and even a stand-up-paddleboard! The one thing everyone has in common is that they are in FANCY DRESS!

It’s a sight to behold, almost 100 paddlers in an array of boats sporting a wide variety of costumes, making as much noise as possible as they pass under each of the city centre bridges. This year’s event was in aid of Barretstown, whose mission is to rebuild the lives of children affected by serious illness and their families. The Odyssey raised over €1000 for this worthy cause. Well done to everyone who took part – and of course Lir were well represented on the day!

Blast on the Blueway

A small group of Lir members took to the Shannon Blueway this summer in open canoes. Two of us, Michael & Dave O’Reilly, paddled solo & the other pair, Lena & Iomhar, teamed up in one boat.After a lunch at Drumshanbo Lock on Friday afternoon we headed up into the lake. Portage around the sluice gates was made a little more difficult as the gates onto & off the road were padlocked. As the boats were fully loaded for camping it was a job for all four to get over.

When we got on the river proper there was a good flow due to recent rain. We had decided to shorten the paddle on Friday so we looked out for a camp site early on. We found a nice dry spot just below the second bridge and settled in for a lovely night of star gazing and looking out for the ISS. We toasted marshmallows on a camp fire and realized the one thing we had forgotten was insect repellent!!

Saturday morning we had a lazy breakfast with cereal followed by the traditional cremated fried breakfast on our camp stoves. By the time we packed up the canoes and having made sure sods were in place to “leave no trace” we got on the river at about 12pm. Initially we made good progress with just one open stretch where we battled a headwind.

After a hot pasta lunch at Battlebridge, including a chat with a family on board a barge that filled flasks for us, we pushed on. As one of our number had arrived in late on Thurs and wasn’t quite provisioned! we paddled into Leitrim Village for some supplies. Coffee and sandwiches on the dock there probably made us even more sluggish but when we hit open water the headwind was there for round two!

We struggled on “solo canoes are murder in strong winds” but Dave and I changed to double and towed his boat. Plans to make it into Drumharlow Lough to camp on the island were modified and a bit of raised ground at the start of the lake made for a bit of shelter.

No star gazing this night with dinner cooked in the lee of a big thorn bush. Great fun was had all the same and wind and rain didn’t dampen spirits especially when Dave produced a full pineapple, hollowed out and added rum and fruit smoothie!! A bottle of beer was enough for me but to be fair he made a great job of cooking steaks. Lena made Burritos and had enough to share with us all so early to bed on full stomachs for four happy campers.

Rising early on Sunday I got the pan on straight away and started to cook sausages, rashers and pudding while stuffing cereal into me so we were ready for the off at a reasonable time but straight into a strong headwind welcomed us to the very open area of the lakes. We teamed up again and further on Lena and Iomhar took the empty boat in tow for the last few miles.

We had done a bit over four miles on Friday, about six or seven on Sat leaving about eight miles to Jamestown just beyond the canal to Albert lock. We were exhausted and delighted to arrive at our take out and with a little help from a couple of French fishermen/boys we hauled the canoes up the steps to the car. All in all it was a super trip, hard work because of the wind but well worth it. All pleasure boats along the way gave us friendly greetings and plenty of space.

Clew Bay, A Wild West Adventure

Some Lir members traveled to the Wild West of Westport last weekend to go on a two-day sea kayaking & camping trip…and they lived to tell the tale! The trip was arranged through Saoirse na Mara Sea Kayaking with Ali Donald, a level 4 sea and river instructor, so we knew we were in very capable hands.

The trip began with the planning phase, which provided a nice taster of the planning that is involved with sea kayaking expeditions. We prepared all of our camping equipment, paddling gear, spare clothes, plenty of food…and we thought there was no way that it would all fit in our sea kayaks. However, it’s remarkable how much fits inside those hatches, and with a bit of careful packing we were ready to get on the water.

The weather was spectacular, clear skies and flat seas that were almost like glass at times. We started off from the beach at Oldhead and explored some nearby caves before moving along the coast. We stopped at a tiny beach for lunch, before ambling on our way, moving ever further east through hundreds of jelly fish. We followed the shore, overlooked by Croagh Patrick the whole time, and marveled at how unusual it was that the Reek was visible for so long, not a whisper of cloud in sight; It was almost as if the weather was lulling us into a false sense of security.

We continued north and then turned west, passing some of the small islands of Clew Bay until we landed on our home for the night, Dorinish Beg. Dorinish is one of 365 islands in Clew Bay, but it is the only one with a link to the pop culture of the 1960s & 70s, Imagine that! Dorinish is comprised of Dorinish Beg and Dorinish Mor, joined by a natural stone causeway, and was once owned by John Lennon. Beatles aficionados can read more about the John Lennon connection here.

Having unpacked the kayaks, Ali set about erecting the group teepee. The teepee came complete with a stove and chimney and it really made the trip for all of us. After a walk around the island, we started to prepare dinner and settled in for the night as the wind began to pick up outside. It was Saturday night, and the following day was Reek Sunday, the day on which up to 60,000 descend on Westport to climb Croagh Patrick. As  darkness fell, we could see the head torches making their way up the long climb to the summit. Our visibility of the Reek was still good, but the winds were rising steadily and it was clear that a storm was on its way.

The forecast had been for strong winds that would pass overnight, however Met Eireann had underestimated just how strong the winds would get. They rose to gale force 8 through the night, and the teepee was tested to its limits. Ali made valiant efforts to anchor us down by adding rocks to the edges of the teepee and we brought paddles and paddling gear inside and tied up the kayaks. All the while, people climbed the Reek despite the fact that Mountain Rescue had by now issued notices that Reek Sunday was cancelled and that it was too dangerous to climb in these conditions.

The teepee held fast, with just a few leaks and a broken zip, so we all made it through the night safe and sound. Our only concern now was that the winds were still high and we had to kayak to get off the island and back to shore. This is where Ali’s experience was invaluable, for he had a multitude of plans developed for every possible scenario. The forecast was that the winds would die down and turn in our favour to push us back to shore, so we decided to wait it out and have a hearty breakfast before doing anything hasty.

The stove was fired up again so we were toasty warm as we ate our porridge and Full Irish (Carribean style) and by the time we had finished and packed up all of our gear, the winds had passed completely and we emerged from the teepee as though the storm had never happened. The Reek was shrouded in mist and rain and we worried for the climbers and rescuers, but luckily the conditions for us were nothing short of perfect.

We took to the near-flat water with lighter boats, having eaten half of our earlier load, and enjoyed a gentle wind on our backs as we island-hopped back towards Westport. We arrived into Westport Harbour at around 3.30pm with huge smiles and plenty of tales to tell. After the shuttle we rounded off the weekend with a swim at Oldhead before starting on the drive back East.

The West of Ireland is revered as the adventure capital of Ireland, and this weekend it certainly lived up to its name. We enjoyed every moment, from tranquil waters and sunshine to pitch-black caves, from seas full of jellyfish to a teepee filled with good food and great company. It reminded us of exactly why we love our sport so much, it opens up a world of opportunities to explore, a world that is very different when experienced from the perspective of a sea kayak or an uninhibited* island.

*intentional malapropism, what happens on an uninhibited island stays on an uninhibited island

You can view the route of our first day here: Navionics Webapp

Club Trip to the Tryweryn, Wales

And so again the normal Friday even rush occurs, get work done, shoot down interruptions, get out the door, get out the door! But this time it is to get the gear in the boot, the boats on the car and the car on the boat. This is a more fun reason to rush to get out of work.

The car on the deck, the paddlers in the bar, the rushing stops, shoulders physically drop, corners of mouths and eyes rise as faces crease in smiles as the banter starts; everyone is present and starting to relax for the trip across the water to get to some better water.

Three hours later we are sneaking through the dark, quiet sleepy night of north Wales with just the slight roar of the boats and flapping of straps. Flapping? That is not right, quick stop to tie up that boat again! Everyone is tired after a long week and the lull of the tyres on the road makes for a quiet trip.

We eventually make it to Bala to find our wonderful accommodation is right on the main street, with a craft beer shop being setup downstairs. The boats are secure around the back, with a garage to hang sopping gear, it’s Paddler Paradise.

After what feels like a brief sleep we are up and ready for action and get to the Tryweryn as quickly as possible. Sitting at the top of the river there is some nervous tension, is a playboat the right one for this river? Will it get caught in the holes? Is there enough padding if it is rocky? Can I remember how to surf?!

The great thing about the Tryweryn is that it builds up somewhat slowly – the first section is pretty much flat and lets you remember that it is your boat and you do like it and you can get comfortable and warmed up before the slalom course. The slalom course is a step up with some nice technical eddies to catch or a clear channel down the middle. You can work this section as hard as you want – catching more and more challenging eddies, planning lines and getting through some small drops. At the end of this section you start to loosen up and feel more confident, ready for the next section of larger drops and waves. As you work your way down the river the challenges increase, the water gets faster and the holes get a bit grabbier.

As you get out at the end there is a small wave of relief that you have gotten through, and then you go all the way back to the start to do it again. You think you know the river but with every run you start to see more eddies to catch, more lines that might work, more places to play and challenge yourself.

And this is the great thing about the Tryweryn; it has lots for everyone to practice, play and learn, from a novice paddler frantically paddling down the middle in the largest, safest boat they can find to the more experienced paddler in a much smaller boat trying to catch every eddie on the river, trying out new lines and sufing every hole.

Lir run frequent trips to Wales, visiting the Tryweryn (in Bala) and the White Water Centre (in Cardiff).

Lir trip to Ireland’s Eye

Summer is a great time for sea kayaking, so Lir have been paddling in spots such as Dalkey and Howth in recent weeks. This week’s club trip was a paddle to Ireland’s Eye, an uninhabited island off the coast at Howth. The island is approximately 500 metres from the pier in Howth, so it is an ideal picnic destination on a nice day.

The island has the ruins of a Martello tower, and the 8th-century Church of the Three Sons of Nessan (thank you Wikipedia!). The church functioned as the parish church for Howth until recent centuries, eventually being replaced by a church in Howth Village due to the limitations of having to take a boat for every service.

There’s quite a lot of bird and sea life to see on Ireland’s Eye, with thousands of guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and gulls as well as large colonies of gannet and cormorant. It’s also a nice treat to see some of the island’s puffins.

Mingling with some of the sea life

Delighted to have reached the shore

Martello Tower in the background

A great way to spend your Sunday