Everything about River Liffey totally explained
The Liffey (
An Life in
Irish) 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.
Name
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 Anglicization of
Abhainn na Life, the Irish phrase that translates into English as
River Liffey.
Course
The Liffey rises between
Kippure and Tonduff in the
Wicklow mountains, and flows for around through counties Wicklow,
Kildare and
Dublin before entering the
Irish Sea at the mouth of
Dublin Bay on a line extending from the Baily lighthouse to the Muglin Rocks.
There are three
ESB hydroelectric power stations along the river, at
Poulaphouca,
Golden Falls and
Leixlip, as well as a number of minor private installations.
Towns along the river include
Ballymore Eustace,
Athgarvan,
Newbridge,
Caragh,
Clane,
Celbridge,
Leixlip and
Lucan before the river reaches the city of
Dublin at its mouth.
Navigation and use
The River Liffey in Dublin city has been used for many centuries for trade, from the
Viking beginnings of the city up to recent times.
A well-known sight on the Liffey up to the
1990s, the
Lady Patricia and
Miranda Guinness
Crossings
Dividing the
Northside of Dublin from the
Southside, the Liffey is spanned by numerous
bridges mostly open to vehicular traffic. Notable are the
West-Link Bridge on the
M50 motorway, the
Sean Heuston Bridge, the
O'Connell Bridge, and the
Millennium and
Ha'penny foot bridges.
Crossings further upriver include the Liffey Bridge at
Celbridge, "The Bridge at 16" (a 19th century pedestrian suspension bridge at the
K Club), and the Leinster Aqueduct - which carries the Grand Canal over the Liffey at
Caragh.
Quays
The song about
Seamus Rafferty refers to the "bowsies on the quay" - However, recent years have seen much development on the quays, with the addition of linear parks and overhanging
boardwalks which give the river banks renewed life.
There are quays on the North bank and the South bank of the Liffey, extending from the weir at Islandbridge to Ringsend bridge over the river Dodder, just before the East Link Toll bridge.
Starting East to West, the quays on the Northern Bank are:
Bridgewater, Wolfe Tone, Sarsfield, Ellis, Arran, Inns, Ormonde Upper, Ormonde Lower, Bachelors Walk, Eden, Custom House, and North Wall.
Starting East to West, the quays on the Southern Bank are:
Victoria, Usher's Island, Usher's, Merchants, Wood, Essex, Wellington, Crampton, Aston, Burgh, George's, City, Sir John Rogerson's, and Great Britain.
In print and song
From
Joyce to
Radiohead, the Liffey is often referenced in literature and song:
Further Information
Get more info on 'River Liffey'.
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