Introduction


be written. I have known and loved the Liffey for most of my life and for the past twenty-five years I have lived close to its middle reaches in County Kildare. I have canoed on it, fished in it, watched its wildlife and explored it from source to mouth.


I


I’ve always had a passion for things watery and I’ve no idea where it came from. I’m actually a poor swimmer with a mild fear of drowning. But I just can’t keep away from lakes and the sea shore, from canals, streams and rivers. Rivers are really the best of all because they’re so dynamic and because they change so much as they grow from source to mouth. And the Liffey is very special among rivers.


Because it’s the river of the capital city it’s unusually rich in history and culture. It’s James Joyce’s river and the heroine of Finnegan’s Wake. It’s also Viking Dublin’s river and the boundary, so important to Dubliners, between north-side and south-side. In addition it rises on a treeless moun- tainside in County Wicklow and flows through the rich farmland of County Kildare. Tis makes for a variety of landscapes and habitats along the banks and a particularly rich assortment of flora and fauna.


t takes a lot of work to write a book. When I finish one I normally say “never again”. But this one just had to


None of this makes the work any easier. Having too much material is actually worse than having too little. A com- prehensive book about the Liffey would run to many vol- umes. It would also require expert knowledge of history and geography, botany and zoology, architecture and liter- ature, geology, archaeology and many other ‘ologies’ – this I don’t have, and I’m not sure that there’s anyone who does. I’ve had to approach things as an amateur and make personal choices – putting in information that interests, amuses or intrigues me and discarding the rest. Tis may be irritating to some people whose interests are different to mine but if so there is one consolation – the pictures.


I haven’t known Rosemary for quite as long as I’ve known the Liffey but she lives not far away, in Newbridge, and I’ve been an admirer of her watercolours for many years. I think she has a great talent for interpreting the subtleties of our local landscapes. Tat’s why I found the invitation to collaborate with her on portraits of the river irresist- ible.


I hope that what we have done will inspire people to go out themselves and discover more treasures along the course of this truly amazing waterway. Te pleasure it has given me is there for everyone.


7


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17