#CanoeingLiffeyDescent: Neil Fleming and Robin Koenders were the fastest crew home at the 56^th Liffey Descent today. In a race run in warm sunshine and light winds from Straffan to Islandbridge, the K2 of Fleming and Dutchman Koenders gained a considerable lead by Lucan over nearest challengers Gary Mawer and Barry Watkins. The winning time of one hour 48 minutes 32 seconds was outside the record for the course.

 The fastest K1 paddler was Tom Brennan, winning this class for the first time, and coming home well under two hours.

 Jenny Egan and her boyfriend Jon Simmons won the mixed K2. They set a new record time of one hour 53 minutes and 26 seconds.

Liffey Descent 2015 (Selected Results)

K2: 1 R Koenders, N Fleming 1 hour 48 minutes 32 seconds, 2 B Watkins, G Mawer 1:51.00, 3 L Van Riet, E Van Riet (Sth Africa) 1:51.42. Junior: C Crate, J O’Hagan 2:05.04. Master: D Halton, J Morrissey 2:02.51.

K1: 1 T Brennan 1:56.22, 2 J Boyton 1:59.38, 3 M Brennan 1:59.44. Junior: E Forristal 2:05.35.

K2 Mixed: J Simmons, J Egan 1:53.26.

Wildwater - Junior: C Clarke 2:19.16

General Purpose – Junior: 2:35.34. Masters: J Mescal 2:31.30. Veteran: E Moran 2:43.36.

#CANOEING: Gary Mawer (44) and Barry Watkins (25) in a K2 racing kayak were fastest home in the Liffey Descent race today. The new partnership covered the journey from Straffan to Islandbridge in a time of one hour 48 minutes and 39 seconds - beating  the Spanish duo of Luis Amado-Perez Blanco and Miguel Llorens Lopez. Mawer, who was winning his 15th senior Liffey Descent, and Watkins, who was taking his first, did not have a single capsize. The K1 winner, Spaniard Kiko Vega (36), was making his debut in the event but also managed to negotiate the course without a capsize. Seán McCarthy led into the Palmerstown weir but took a swim there.

Liffey Descent (Selected Results)

Men

K2 – Senior: 1 G Mawer, B Watkins 1:48.39, 2 L Amado-Perez Blanco, Miguel Llorens Lopez 1:48.49, 3 T Daniels, A Daniels 1:50.02. Junior: 1 C Cummins, M Slattery 2:05.54. Masters: 1 D Halton, L McCarthy 2:04.11, 2 C Pilliner, J Hyde 2:21.32, 3 T Dillon, B O’Brien 2:23.42. Veterans: G Woodhead, C Horn 2:15.25.

K1 – Senior: 1 F Vega 1:57.17, 2 S McCarthy 1:58.48, 3 D Francis 2:00.37. Junior: 1 J O’Hagan 2:04.19, 2 F Maya Mart 2:15.59, 3 B O’Neill 2:17.09. Masters: 1 S Baker 2:01.00 2 M Banks 2:01.04, 3 J Butler 2:04.39.

Wildwater – Senior: 1 J Christie 2:07.46, 2 P Forristal 2:15.25, 3 S Hadland 2:25.12. Junior: 1 C Quinn 2:12.46, 2 C Clarke 2:23.58, 3 E Moorhouse 2:36.57.

General Purpose – Senior: 1 M Redmond 2:29.02, 2 K Cahill 2:29.54, 3 E Keyes 2:33.02. Juniors: 1 O Farrell 2:28.52, J Ledwith 2:34.10, S Cahill 2:39. 25. Masters: 1 E Broekaart 2:30.38, 2 J Mollohan 2:32.13, 3 R McKernan 2:34.08.

Canadian Triple: 1 F O’Donovan, D Comerford, C Broderick 2:46.25, 2 Y Kalogerakis, A Cobban, D Mernin 2:46.25, 3 N Slevin, M Lynch, J Byrne 2:49.35.

Canadian Double: D Bradburn, B McNulty 2:36.11, 2 K Durkan, M Fitzsimons 2:46.30, 3 J Wilkinson, H Wilkinson 2:53.00.

Touring Canadian Single: 1 A Redmond 3:18.41, 2 T Shortt 3:43.53, 3 P Magee 3:54.52.

Touring Kayak Double: 1 M Keating, D Keating 2:11.50, 2 G Collins, B Gallagher 2:14.04, 3 D McDonnell, N O’Connell 2:15.07.

Women

K1: A Smith 2:17.13.

General Purpose – Senior: 1 L Griffin 2:41.35, 2 E Kelly 2:49.03, 3 E Mulroe 3:00.18. Junior: C Gurhy 2:51.20.

Mixed

K2: 1 J Boyton, J Egan 1:58.44, 2 A Bunzel, J Smyth 2:06.15, 3 P Shelley, A Galloway 2:10.26.