English Channel latter part of the 19th century when Captain Matthew Webb made the first observed and unassisted swim across the Strait of Dover, swimming from England to France on 24–25 August 1875 in 21 hours 45 minutes. In 1927, at a time when fewer than ten swimmers (including the first woman, Gertrude Ederle in 1926) had managed to emulate the feat and many dubious claims were being made, the Channel Swimming Association (CSA) was founded to authenticate and ratify swimmers' claims to have swum the Channel and to verify crossing times. The CSA was dissolved in 1999 and was succeeded by
The Liffey Swim a Guinness Barge and finished at Burgh Quay. In 1991 the first ladies race was introduced and in the early 1990s the race was moved 400 yards down river to start beside the Civic Offices and to finish opposite the Custom House. The 2009 Liffey Swim was the 90th edition of the race and saw electronic timing used for the first time. One of the earliest Liffey Swims was portrayed in the Jack B. Yeats 1923 painting entitled "The Liffey Swim", which won him the Silver Medal for Painting at the Art competitions at the 1924 Summer Olympics. The painting