THE ANNUAL 17-mile Liffey Descent race, which attracts more than 1,000 canoeists and kayakers to Ireland every September, has been postponed – due to a lack of water.
Paddlers from all over the world converge on Straffan, Co Kildare, each year to enjoy the event, which has been running since 1960.
Announcing the postponement, the Irish Canoe Union, which governs the sport, said the race would not now take place on Saturday, September 10th as planned. It will instead take place on October 8th – perhaps providing welcome extra training time for the serious paddlers who were gearing up for the daunting task of running the swollen river from Kildare to Islandbridge in Dublin. The organisers noted that reservoir levels were at a 35-year low.
The main attraction of the Liffey Descent over the years has been that it is a “big water” event, a statement said. It noted the flood for the massive event is provided by the ESB through the release of water from its upstream reservoirs.
“The ESB has, however, recently advised the Irish Canoe Union that reservoir levels are currently at a 35-year low and that having regard to long-range weather forecasts and its own water demand, forecasts it will not be in a position to release water to facilitate this year’s event in September.
“It has indicated that it will be in a better place in October to facilitate a release sufficient for the ICU to run a satisfactory event.”
Organisers said this had left them with a “difficult decision” – to run the event on September 10th as originally planned but without a flood, or to postpone it until early October when there will be “a greater possibility of the traditional Liffey Descent flood”.
The union said it regretted it had been necessary to take this course of action, and was “conscious that this may not be popular in all quarters”.
The release of water is a matter completely outside the control of the union, it added.
The event has always been renowned for “guaranteed” good paddling conditions, largely due to the ESB’s release of an extra 30 tonnes of water from the Poulaphouca reservoir to bring the river up to flood levels for the race.