Ireland's most decorated paddler, Jenny Egan-Simmons, joins Paddlecast to talk everything Liffey.

The Liffey Descent is one of the world’s longest running paddling races and the most iconic race in Ireland. Paddlers from Ireland, the UK, Europe, South Africa, and around the world flock to Dublin to race 30 kilometres, 1 portage, and 10 weirs. Notable former winners include reigning marathon world champion Mads Brandt Pedersen of Denmark, and South Africans Hamish Lovemore and Clint Cook.

Aside from lush scenery and a raucously good local atmosphere, what differentiates the Liffey Descent is that it’s “a race of precision”. To get over each of the ten weirs successfully, paddlers often have a couple of options, but their positioning and approach has to be near perfect to avoid swimming or breaking the boat.

And because the race runs on a water release, practising the weirs ahead of time in race-day conditions is typically impossible.

The best thing to do is tap into the knowledge of someone local, perhaps a longtime member of the famous Salmon Leap Canoe Club that sits along the course. Even better, someone who’s raced before, or even won…

So as perhaps the most perfectly qualified paddler to talk about the Liffey Descent, here is Jenny Egan-Simmons on Paddlecast. Ireland’s most decorated canoeist, Jenny has won 20 international world championship and world cup level medals in both canoe sprint and canoe marathon. She also has 10 Liffey wins (11 if you count the one of three junior doubles races where she didn’t beat all the boys), was the first girl to win the junior boys doubles category, and has two Liffey records: Senior Mixed Doubles and Women’s K1.

The hardest part of the Liffey Descent is having a clean race. Meaning to finish the race with no swims, and the same boat you started with still intact. In this episode of Paddlecast, Jenny takes Billy and Betsy through the entire race from the start, to Straffan Weir, through “The Jungle”, over rapids and under bridges, and through the best approach to every weir and obstacle on the course. How can you race the Liffey clean? Listen to Jenny Egan-Simmons.

Special thanks to Jenny for joining us on Paddlecast, and best of luck to all the racers taking on the Liffey Descent this year!

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00:22 Introducing The Liffey Descent & Jenny Egan-Simmons

Liffey Descent Weir Guide: How to Race a Clean Liffey

15:00 The Start & Straffan Weir

18:00 The Jungle

20:27 Temple Mills Weir, Vanessa Weir, Celbridge Rapids, Ghost Weir, Leixlip Lake, The Portage, Leixlip Rapids, Salmon Leap Bridge

23:24 Sluice Weir

27:28 Lucan Village & Weir

30:29 Anna Liffey Weir

31:45 Big V Weirs: Wren’s Nest Weir & Palmerstown Weir

35:34 Chapelizod Weir

36:48 Reflections on the Liffey, Top Contenders for 2025, The Future of the Liffey, & The Paddling Scene in Ireland