Stamp of iconic Yeats painting to mark centenary of Liffey Swim
A century of the Liffey swim will be celebrated with An Post issuing a stamp with one of the great iconic images of this famous event.
On Thursday 1st August, An Post’s latest stamp marking the 100th Liffey swim goes on sale. The stamp, by Irish design house Workgroup, features Jack B Yeats’ famous painting ‘The Liffey Swim’ which won an actual Olympic medal. The stamp will be available at selected post offices, from the stamp counters at Dublin’s GPO and online at www.irishstamps.ie.
When hundreds of hardy swimmers take to the waters of Dublin’s river Liffey on Saturday (3rd August) they will do so for the 100th time. The Dublin event is the only European capital to host a competitive swimming event through the heart of the city. Ironically the Liffey swim is considered an open sea event given the incoming sea tide against which the swimmers must battle.
An Post has issued a single stamp, for national mail, and also a First Day Cover envelope which will be an attractive ‘must have’ for Dubliners, swimmers and specialist stamp collectors alike.
The original Jack B Yeats painting, and the Olympic Silver medal it won for the painter, can be seen to this day in the National Gallery of Ireland. Yeats, the brother of poet WB, entered the painting of one of the early Liffey swims in the art competition of the Olympics of 1924, the first Olympic medal won by the fledgling Irish state. Each year, the race winner is presented with a replica of the painting.