River Liffey

River Liffey
Boardwalks of Liffey from O'Connell Bridge, in Dublin
Country	Ireland
Basin features
Main source	Kippure, County Wicklow 500 m (1,600 ft)
River mouth	Irish Sea at Dublin Bay
Basin size	1,256 km2 (485 sq mi)
Tributaries	Left: Ballylow Brook, King's River, Lemonstown Stream, Kilcullen Stream, Pinkeen Stream, Rye Water, Silleachain Stream, Furry Glen Stream, Magazine Stream, Finisk Stream, Bradogue River Right: Sraghoe, Cransillagh, Athdown Brook, Shankill River, Brittas River, Morell River, Griffeen River, Glenaulin Stream, Creosote Stream, Camac River, River Poddle, Stein River, River Dodder
Physical characteristics
Length	125 km (78 mi)
Discharge	Average rate: Annual: 13.8 m3/s (490 cu ft/s) Aug: 3.7 m3/s (130 cu ft/s) Dec: 29.8 m3/s (1,050 cu ft/s)

The River Liffey (Irish: An Life) is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water and a range of recreational opportunities.

The river was previously named An Ruirthech, meaning "fast (or strong) runner". The word Liphe (or Life) referred originally to the name of the plain through which the river ran, but eventually came to refer to the river itself. It was also known as the Anna Liffey, possibly from an anglicisation of Abhainn na Life, the Irish phrase that translates into English as "River Liffey".James Joyce personified the river as "Anna Livia Plurabelle" in Finnegans Wake.

See Annals of Inisfallen (AI) for the year 808:

The Liffey rises in the Liffey Head Bog between Kippure and Tonduff in the Wicklow Mountains, forming from many streamlets at Sally Gap. It flows for 132 km (82 mi) through counties Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin before entering the Irish Sea at its mouth at the midpoint of Dublin Bay, on a line extending from the Baily lighthouse to the Muglin Rocks. It crosses from County Wicklow into County Kildare at Poulaphouca and from County Kildare into County Dublin at Leixlip, with most of its length being in Kildare.

The catchment area of the Liffey is 1,256 km² (485 sq mi). The long term average flow rate of the river is 18.0 m³/s (640 cu ft/s).

The Liffey system is a substantial one, including dozens of smaller rivers and streams.

Early tributaries include the Athdown Brook, Shankill River, Ballylow Brook, Brittas River and Woodend Brook, as well as the substantial King's River. Downstream of Poulaphouca are the Lemonstown Stream, Kilcullen Stream and Pinkeen Stream, followed by the Painestown River (with tributaries including the Morell River), Rye Water (with tributaries including the Lyreen), and the Griffeen River.