Our visit earlier this year to Dublin sent us to many places—Dublin Castle, the National Gallery, O’Connell Street, Kilmainham Gaol and more, but it also sent us back, over and over, to the river, the Liffey.
In a sense, the river gave birth to the city, giving it access to the sea, allowing trade and invasion to shape it, and dividing it into North City and South City. And it provides any number of scenic viewpoints and memorable bridges. Here’s the most famous, the Ha’penny Bridge, officially the Liffey Bridge.
Built in 1816 to replace seven dilapidated ferry crossings, the bridge got its name from the toll, which was collected until 1919. The bridge is a pre-fab project; it was built in 18 sections in Shropshire, England, and shipped to the site. Before the toll was removed, there was a turnstile where the gate at the top of the steps can be seen.
A little further along, the 18th-century Grattan Bridge is guarded by some rather unusual seahorses…
Further east, the city’s newest bridge, a stayed-cable structure that some claim resembles the harp that is Ireland’s symbol. Wishful thinking, it seems to me. It’s named for Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, and you’re free to come up with your own view on that choice.
And for last, near the Beckett Bridge, a reminder of when the Liffey was a busy port area: a bronze dockman hauls rope to pull in the ghost of a barge.
