The return of swimming at Paris' River Seine has sparked a conversation about the River Liffey...
There's a call for investment to make the Liffey a more attractive place to swim.
It's after authorities in France announced the return of organised swimming in the River Seine in Paris.
The 103rd annual Jones Engineering Liffey Swim takes place on 2nd September.
Chairperson of Leinster Open Sea, Bobby Nolan, says the event is a big attraction to the city;
"It has dropped down a bit since covid - believe it or not - we were over the 600 mark of our 100th [swim]...
"Over the years, I've gathered that, on the day, we would probably generate between 35,000 and 40,000 people down either side of the river...so it's a huge, huge revenue generator for the bars and the restaurants, and it's a big family day out."
The Liffey Swim 2022 is underway! pic.twitter.com/HAqXCHlCC8
— Tom Douglas (@TomDouglas95) September 24, 2022
However, the Liffey Swim is the only organised swimming event on the river.
Coucillor Cat O'Driscoll is chair of Dublin City Council's Leisure and Recreative Committee.
She says that could be easily changed;
"We need investment.
"The docklands and Dublin Port look after the bottom half of the river, and Dublin City Council look after the upper half.
We need a bit more of a coming together to work out how we manage clearly, and then the investment will need to come.
We think it's a prime opportunity for us to learn from other countries, and bring some European money in to improve the safety of our river."
Photo credit: Tom Douglas.
