The importance of the Liffey to the Plurabelles is captured in our name. Anna Livia Plurabelle is the female protagonist in James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake and is, herself, an allegory for the river Liffey. Given the special place that the Liffey has for the Plurabelle Paddlers, we were delighted to participate in the All in a Row event. The fundraiser raises valuable money for the RNLI and the Irish Underwater Search and Recovery Unit.
Dressed in Santa hats and festive glitter, two boatloads of Plurabelles, including paddlers from Dublin Vikings and Nore Dragon Paddlers, joined countless rowing boats, kayaks and canoes in a large flotilla that travelled up the river Liffey to the very heart of Dublin city, passing under numerous iconic Dublin bridges.
The All in a Row event is a firm favourite for the Plurabelle Paddlers. In addition to the paddlers who had previously participated in the event, today was a new experience for some of our paddlers, who got to see Dublin city from a very different viewpoint. If that wasn’t enough excitement, they also got to experience the 225-year-old lock!