South African paddlers Matthew Fenn and Bradley Boulle claimed overall victory in the 65th Liffey Descent, leading the 30km race from Straffan Weir to the finish in a time of two hours, 14 minutes and 30 seconds.
Bridge View: Spectators watch competitors during the 65th International Liffey Descent at The K Club in Straffan, Kildare. Photo: Eakin Howard/Sportsfile
The international crew were first over Straffan Weir and steadily extended their advantage to finish almost three minutes clear of the second-placed crew, which included 2023 K1A winner Nicolas Lambert.
Rapid Run: Kate McCarthy of Salmon Leap Canoe Club competes in the K1 A Women's event during the 65th International Liffey Descent at The K Club in Straffan, Kildare. Photo: Eakin Howard/Sportsfile
The 2026 edition again brought international competitors together with Ireland's leading paddlers for one of the country's longest-established paddlesport events.
K1 Charge: Nicole Byrne of Trim competes in the K1 Class C event during the 65th International Liffey Descent at The K Club in Straffan, Kildare. Photo: Eakin Howard/Sportsfile
Sprint Finish in Mixed K2
One of the day's tightest contests came in the K2 Mixed division, where almost two-and-a-half hours of racing ended in a sprint for the line.
Joe Peterson and Sam Martyn narrowly prevailed over Brynde Kreft and Shaun Harte to take the category victory.
In the men's K1A race, Salmon Leap Canoe Club's Sean McCarthy ended Tom Brennan's bid for a third consecutive victory, producing a strong performance to take the title.
France's Capucine Martin of Palavas Kayak de Mer was a convincing winner of the women's K1A category.
Irish Winners Across Kayak Classes
The K1C division, traditionally one of the largest fields in the Liffey Descent, saw Sean Heneghan of Celbridge Paddlers take the men's title, while Caitlin Markey of University of Galway won the women's event.
James Dillon and Gearóid Jones successfully defended their title in the Canadian Canoe Doubles category.
Canoe Carry: Colette Hartnett of White Water, Mark McGrath and Stephen Whittle of QQI take their canoe out of the water after competing in the Open Canoe - Triple Canadian Canoe event during the 65th International Liffey Descent at Dublin University Boat Club in Kilmainham, Dublin. Photo: Eakin Howard/Sportsfile
Beyond the competition, Canoeing Ireland said the 65th running highlighted both the paddling community surrounding the event and the importance of protecting the River Liffey and other waterways on which the sport depends.
Paddle Pack: Competitors during the 65th International Liffey Descent at The K Club in Straffan, Kildare. Photo: Eakin Howard/Sportsfile
The governing body thanked the volunteers, officials, safety and rescue crews, landowners, partners and supporters involved in staging the race.
