The River Liffey

La Liffey traverse Dublin et nous sommes obligés de l’enjamber via des ponts afin de rejoindre l’autre rive. Il né s’agit pas d’une petite rivière mais carrément d’un fleuve se jetant dans la mer d’Irlande, exploité par les bateaux mais aussi la distillerie Guinness. Pas eu la chance de naviguer dessus.

One of our first sights while taking the Aircoach bus into Dublin, was of The River Liffey.
The River Liffey, or «Abhainn na Life» is the life blood for Dublin, much as the Seine is for Paris, or the Thames for London. These rivers define their cities because for several centuries they were use for commerce and trade long before the building of modern roads and rail lines. Today of course, they are more the rivers of poets and lovers.
There are several beautiful bridges over The Liffey, the Ha’penny, Millennium, Samuel Becket, James Joyce and others that are worth seeing. If you find yourself in the the Temple Bar area, it’s only a short one block walk to Ha’penny. Also, many of the «jump on, jump off» tour buses will make a brief stop if you ask politely.
You can also walk along the small embankment, near Ha’penny and see the replica of the ship Jeanie Johnson near the Custom House Quay. Though it is much smaller than the Victorian one in London, it is still worth the walk — if only to hold hands and take pictures with your partner.
Today, the barge ships carrying Guinness to the docks are long gone, but The River Liffey for poets and lovers remain. I call your attention to Lisa J’s review for a more local perspective.
Enjoy!

Well, a river. But nothing very special in particular. Some bridges are nice, some bridges are just… bridges. If you are a little bit away from O’Connell Bridge, the river is quite dirty (especially more to the east). So… there are better places in Dublin.

When I saw it it was very shallow and quite dirty. But I am sure it compliments the city at different times.

Wet, wet, wet and very deep! but oh how the liffey often divides the city while being ignored as the entity that it is, dirty and sluggish as it meets the sea but vibrant, fresh and with wildlife as it is born high in the Wicklow mountains.
The liffey has many tributaries off of it, including the poddle and the dodder. There are many activites that take place on the Liffey, like canoeing and boating. I watched canoeists throw themselves off the O’Connell street bridgen once, yikes and Unilocal to the rushing waters below but thankfully it was all under control and nobody was hurt.
People have tried to swim across sometimes to their fatal sorrow, and a bus once went in around 2000 but thankfully no-​one was hurt in that accident. Then someone threw a rabbit belonging to a homeless man in, causing the man to dive in and rescue his beloved pet. Both surived and the thrower was arrested. I think i would have thrown him in myself.
The vikings ships were the first ships to row up the river, a time long long before the bridges were around and many signs of their existance can be seen near the liffey, notably around christ church where if you look down you will see engravings of where viking tools and weapons and bowls were found. A sight a lot of passersby totally miss to their loss.
Then it was the British fleets invading our beautiful city coming up the liffey. They would have been involved in building bridges over the liffey, one of the first being ‘queens bridge’ renamed i think by now! Then the likes of the halpenny bridge came along which today is a sight for tourists and local alike to this day.
Then the British left and we the Irish were left with the destiny of our city, our rivers, and of course we then decided to create our own little wars between North and South side. Can we not just all just get along!!?

Thank you River Liffey for helping a tourist keep her directions straight while she wandered the streets of Dublin.

It’s a Dublin landmark you cannot miss. The history of this city has a lot to do with the Liffey and I walk by it and live by it. See the Liffey every day without fail and enjoy the atmosphere rain or shine. It is truly the heart of Dublin and always changing.

So there’s «The North» [ of Dublin ] and there’s «The South» [ of Dublin ] and then there’s what’s in between … The River Liffey. A tidal river that now divides the city was once its life-​blood … transportation-​wise and commerce-​sake.
Months of walking across The Liffey over its many bridges I have yet to see a single boat on this piece of moving water — very strange. I mean it’s not a wide river but come on, just one boat before I leave Dublin would be a welcome sight. To think that centuries ago Vikings lead ships up this very river.
Closer to the Irish Sea you’ll see a more modern look of architecture lining the river with banks (what’s left of them) having newly built office buildings all in a row while further inland a more dated set of buildings, some ornate though most very provincial.
Take a walk along it’s banks where you can, like The Liffey Boardwalk or head inland a bit more where the river keeps going but the populous ceases.

I wish that I had the knowledge to present the river’s history and poetic influence like some of Dublin’s other fine Unilocalers, but unfortunately I don’t. All I know is that this little river snakes beautifully through the heart of the city.
In terms of added grandeur and majesty, nothing improves a city quite like a river. Arrayed along the banks are gorgeous old buildings that, because of the river’s breadth, are visible for miles. Then, arching between the banks, are a dozen bridges: some old, some new, all beautiful.
Even though my day-​to-​day involves bustling hurriedly over the river it sometimes still catches me and makes me pause to admire.

My Ratings:
Quality: 4 — Clean and calm
Location: 4 — Nice
Overall: Nice and a must see in Ireland!
My Opinion/​Story:
I love how this river is a huge part of history. They kept it clean compared to some of the rivers in the states. The waters were calm and you don’t see alot of jumpers. The businesses along the river were well kept. The river really gives the city a certain character that makes you love it more. I only wish I was able to do a river tour if I wasn’t so pinched on time. But it’s good enough for me to see it.

Aww now, no need to be so hard on the Liffey guys. Recently I seen another side of it. (clean, beautiful, non trolly infested)
Myself and my sister when kayaking from the canoe centre in Palmerstown which is situated right on the river Liffey. We spent three hours travelling up the river It was so amazing. We felt like we weren’t in Dublin at all. paddling along we could see all the gardens of the people who live along it. Lots of vegetable patches some even had there own little jettys leading down to it. I was very surprised to see the amount of people socialising on it that day. Everyone had a canoe or kayak. Kids playing water volleyball even dogs in swimming. And i wouldnt mind it was typical irish weather that day rain rain rain yet everyone was out enjoying it. Perhaps the perfect way to spend a rainy day in dublin. On the Liffy.
So please give the Liffey a break guys, its not all bad.

There is something about strolling by the riverside that makes any city feel real. This isn’t the prettiest river but it is certainly a part of what makes Dublin, Dublin. There are nice benches along the side so if you get tired on your stroll, you can always have a seat and ponder your place in life for a while!

It’s certainly not a river you’d want to fall into! The Liffey is a big part of Dublin, separating the northside from the southside. Even if it is polluted and dirty, there’s just something about the city lights reflecting off the water’s surface at night that makes it look so beautiful.
I used to walk along the quays to commute to work in the mornings, and I’m convinced the wind is the strongest and coldest along the river!

A fascinating tidal river with as much history as seaweed!

Not being a Dubliner, I didn’t grow up in the reflection of the grimey puddle that is the Liffey. I’m not struck with the bias that many of the other reviewers are so I’ll be completely honest. It’s a big mingin river that divides the city in two. But, jaysus does she have character. It divides the city in two and defines the city’s identity. Without the Liffey Dublin would have no north and south no Olan in BT2 and Anto in doctor Quirkey’s. Not to mention the fact that one of my favourite things, the ha’penny bridge is the joiner of the two.
Sure, it’s full of trolley’s and poorly concealed dead bodies, but so is the back of Supervalu in Santry.

I have always lived by the Liffey. It’s quite nice to look out of my window at its murky waters. There’s something very soothing about it.
Despite its bad rep for being polluted, wildlife seems to thrive on it. The gulls and seals are living proof that the water can’t be that bad.
Another reason to love the Liffey is the fact that it divides the city into two sides: north and south. If it wasn’t for the Liffey, we wouldn’t be able to categorize and typecast Dubs.

The Liffey makes Dublin. Probably disgustingly polluted, there is still no more beautiful sight than sunset (or for that matter, sunrise, though that means one of two things… you haven’t gone to bed yet — good — or you’re up early for work — bad) over the river, with the city lit up in all its glory. It’s picture perfect and breathtaking…
For some reason, Irish cities feel the need for this northside/​southside divide (Cork has the same with the Lee) and it’s always facilitated by an ancient trading river route. The Liffey was the lifeblood of Irish trade and retains that importance to the present day. Thank god that whole dying it green thing died a quick death. The scummy surface does us just nicely thanks!

I’ll never forget it. Coming out of the Pogues gig in the Point Depot*, just two days before Christmas. I’d lost my friends in the crowd, the night was dark and I was doused in sweat. Freezing cold now, I’d also lost my hood in the pit.
And I come onto the quays, the city is bathed in light. The Liffey too, reflecting it back as I pass the famine memorial. For the first time ever I was looking at Dublin, from the banks of the Liffey, and it seemed like the most beautiful city in the world. It felt like anything could happen.
Then some junkie asked me if I had any change for a ‘hostel’. Moment ruined, reality restored.
*not the 02-​suck-​my-​balls-​arena thank you very much

A river that has songs written about it, a river that divides the city into the Northside and the Southside.
It is one of the reasons why Dublin exists as it was the trading route that the Vikings took.
Nowadays bridges criss cross it up and down the various postcodes. You can take boat tours down it and if you are really mental you can take part in the annual Liffey Swim. Personally I would encase my body from head to toe in some type of rubber suit as I have my misgivings about how clean the city centre part of the river is.
The boardwalk the opens over the river is a great place to sit and have a drink and just enjoy this famous part of the city’s history.