Ireland

RTÉ journalist is fastest male finisher in 99th Liffey Swim

Paul O’Flynn and Triona Muldoon quickest in completing 2.2km Dublin river course

RTÉ sports journalist Paul O’Flynn was the winner of the men’s event at the 99th Liffey Swim in Dublin on Saturday. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill/The Irish Times.
Sun Sept 02 2018 - 09:41

RTÉ sports journalist Paul O’Flynn was the winner of the men’s event at the 99th Liffey Swim in Dublin on Saturday.

O’Flynn, a regular contributor to the broadcaster’s main TV bulletins, was the fastest finisher, completing the course in a time “of around 43 minutes”, Dublin City Council said. O'Flynn is a member of the Half Moon Swimming Club in Dublin.

Triona Muldoon was the winner of the women's event.

The 2.2km Liffey Swim began at Rory O’More Bridge and finished at North Wall Quay in front of the Custom House. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill/The Irish Times.

The 2.2km swim, sponsored by Jones Engineering, began at Rory O’More Bridge and finished at North Wall Quay in front of the Custom House.

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Participants are assigned a time handicap depending on their level of proficiency, which in O’Flynn’s case was eight minutes.

Muldoon, a member of Clontarf Swimming Club, recorded a winning time of "roughly 37 minutes", the council said. She had a handicap of seven minutes and 15 seconds.

Participants make a splash at the Liffey Swim in Dublin on Saturday. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill/The Irish Times.

Speaking after the race, O'Flynn said he had been taking part in the race since he was around 14 and that winning it had “definitely been a lifelong dream”.

“It’s been a long time coming, I knew I had a chance at it, but you never know with the tide and the weather or the currents," he said. “I just put the head down and got on with it, I was delighted to get over the line.

“By the end stage, you’re running on empty, if it had been 50 metres longer I don’t think I would have managed it."