The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has confirmed the sighting of a common dolphin in the River Liffey at the weekend.

According to TheJournal.ie, the marine mammal was spotted swimming near the Poolbeg power plant on Saturday morning (12 March) before it headed out further into Dublin Bay.

IWDG sightings officer Padraig Whooley told TheJournal.ie: “This is only the second time IWDG has confirmed a sighting of a common dolphin in the Liffey system, so it is an unusual record.”

Video taken by Eugene Smith in Poolbeg, Dublin's River Liffey, shows a common dolphin. It is only the second time that IWDG has confirmed a sighting of this species in the Liffey system, making this a rare encounter. Details are available on the IWDG website under sightings. pic.twitter.com/2LbZ9AjGiJ

— Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (@IWDGnews) March 14, 2022

Previously a common dolphin wowed early morning city-goers when it swam up the Liffey as far as the Loopline Bridge in November 2018, as reported on Afloat.ie.

A dreary, stormy day in Dublin city centre was brightened with the appearance of a common dolphin swimming up the River Liffey as far as the Loopline Bridge.

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) says it got its first reports early this morning (Wednesday 28 November) from the Jeanie Johnston, whose John O’Neill shot this video of the solo cetacean swimming loops in the river.

It was spotted swimming strongly as far west as Liberty Hall around lunchtime before heading back east and towards Dublin Bay.

Dolphins are known to develop kidney and skin problems on prolonged exposure to freshwater environments such as rivers.

However, the IWDG moved to assuage public concerns over this particular animal — saying that if it was swimming as strongly as sightings suggested, it would be more than able to swim back to sea.

It’s suggested that this short-beaked visitor may be one of a pod of some 20 dolphins known to be feeding off the East Coast this month.