That’s the distance. It’s unique in Europe and one of the most famous in the world. It’s 97 years old this year. No other capital has a swimming race through the middle of the city. When Bernard Fagan started it, he wanted to show off the good quality of the Liffey water.

Today, Maria brought a couple of Coca-Colas with her because she had been told last year by a friend that a Coke would kill all the germs in the Liffey water she swallowed. She did really well today and had great fun.

After the start of the race, Pádraig popped into Heather’s on the quays on their last day of trading after 150 years. It was the one and only shoe shop in Dublin that sold shoes for people with really large feet. Pádraig picked up a pair of original clogs. The closure of the shoe shop which originally had been a drapery store after decades and decades was such a big event that it made the main news today.

It was a good, relaxed day today, when we left our troubles behind and didn’t worry about tomorrow (too much). It’ll come. Anyways. And, of course, we haven’t got the faintest of what it’ll bring.