Rafting Down The River Liffey In Dublin, Ireland

I was also the only girl on the trip which was made up of two different stag party groups.
We left one group at the base area because one of the guys, the groom, was way too hungover and they weren’t sure if he was going to make the trip. All 11 guys in the group I was with, on the two rafts, were hungover as well. Some more than others.
It was very beautiful and relaxing as we slowly paddled down the river heading to our first ‘fall’. Getting close our guide told us “we have to paddle hard then drop your paddles into the middle of the boat when I tell you, then everyone moves to the back of the raft. As soon as I say I will need everyone to quickly move to the front of the raft and hold onto the rope around the raft.”
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This was starting to make me a little nervous. Up to this point, I was fine. There had been no rapids yet, so how big could the drop be? The guide said it was about a 12-foot drop. As we approached the drop we did everything we were told to do and made it over with no problems. I then realized this was nothing like the rafting I had done on the Kicking Horse River in British Columbia, Canada.
The tranquility of the river, the wildlife we saw, the smells of wild garlic and fresh flowers that would catch you seeming out of nowhere all made the sunny day enjoyable. We were only about twenty minutes away from Dublin’s city center; however, it felt as if we were hundreds of miles away. Hearing some of the history of the area while seeing views not available from anywhere but on the water added to the 2.5-hour journey.
Everyone went into the river at some point. Some willing, some not willing, but were forced in any way. The water was cold but the wetsuits helped a little and the sun being out helped a lot. As time went by and the hungover guys went into the water a few times, they slowly started feeling better. At about the three-quarter point of the trip, the other two rafts caught up with us. Including the extremely hungover groom.
Back at the base, there are showers and facilities to use. They also have change rooms where you can store all your personal belongings.
Rafting the River Liffey was not like my previous rafting experiences. The four ‘falls’ or drops we went down throughout the trip, were drops in the weir, so they were not too big nor was any of the water rough. Rafting in Dublin is a great way for someone who has never been rafting before to try it and see if they like it. It would also be great for some younger children and people who want a relaxing couple of hours on the river. If rafting is not your thing, read about Things To Do In Dublin here.
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