SWIMMING Dublin's Liffey Swim celebrates its 90th Anniversary this Saturday

This Saturday, 12th September, the Dublin City Council sponsored Liffey Swim celebrates its 90th anniversary with 234 men and 96 women taking the plunge, having completed 4 qualifying races on the 2009 Swim Leinster Calendar. Dublin's Lord Mayor, Cllr Emer Costello will fire the starting gun for the men's race at 16.00hrs and the women's race at 17.00hrs. The 2.2 kilometre swim begins at Rory O'More Bridge, Watling Street and finishes at the Custom House.

The Swim is open to competitors of all ages, abilities and nationalities, with teenagers competing against 70 year olds and club swimmers from all over the country pitting their strengths against international swim champions. This year the youngest swimmer is Lucy Dowling, age 12 while the oldest is Ron Hardie, age 69. Three generations of the Pickering family, John, Sharon and Hayley will also take part. Electronic timing will be used for the first time this year allowing for the instantaneous placement of the competitors as they pass the finishing line.

According to the Lord Mayor, "The Liffey Swim is a Dublin City institution and the growing number of competitors from abroad attests to the competition's legendary international status," said the Lord Mayor. "It's a gruelling race but a great day out for competitors and spectators alike and I encourage everybody in Dublin on Saturday afternoon to follow the race along the quays and cheer on the swimmers."

"Dublin City Council is proud to sponsor the Liffey Swim as it showcases the extensive infrastructures that we have implemented in recent years along the Liffey, including new bridges that are improving linkages between both sides of the river and the Boardwalk along the river", says Mayor Costello. "I also commend Swim Ireland, Leinster Region Open Sea Committee who continue to work very closely with the City Council in successfully delivering this very unique event, year after year."

The Lord Mayor will present the winners with their prizes and each will receive a much coveted print of the famous 1923 Jack B Yeats painting of the race, at a reception afterwards in the Gresham Hotel, O'Connell Street at 20.00hrs.