River Liffey

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Liffey redirects here. For the Australian town see Liffey, Tasmania.

River Liffey
Boardwalks of Liffey and O'Connell Bridge, in Dublin
Origin	Mt. Kippure, County Wicklow
Mouth	Irish Sea at Dublin Bay
Basin countries	Ireland
Length	~125 km (75 mi)
Source elevation	~500 m (1,640 ft)
Avg. discharge	N/A
Basin area	N/A

The Liffey (An Life in Irish) is a river in the Republic of Ireland, which flows through Dublin. The word Liphe or Life was the name of the plain through which the river ran, rather than the name of the river. The proper name of the river was An Ruirthech, 'the strong running'.

1 Course
2 Navigation and use
3 Crossings
4 Quays
5 In print and song

[edit] Course

The Liffey rises near Kippure, a mountain in County Wicklow, and flows for around 125 km (75 miles) through counties Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin before entering the Irish Sea in Dublin Bay.

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, Newbridge, Caragh, Leixlip and Lucan before the river reaches the city of Dublin at its mouth.

[edit] 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. (see History of Dublin, and Dublin Port).

A well-known sight on the Liffey up to the 1990s, the Lady Patricia[1] and Miranda Guinness[2] cargo ships were used to export Guinness from the St. James's Gate Brewery.

In recent years, the only regular traffic on the river within the city is the Liffey Voyage water tour bus service, which runs guided tours along the River Liffey through Dublin City centre. Departing from the boardwalk downstream of the Ha’Penny bridge, the Spirit of the Docklands runs under O'Connell Bridge, Butt Bridge and the Talbot Memorial Bridge on a journey downstream, passing the Custom House before turning at the Grand Canal Basin and back up stream. Built by Westers Mekaniska in Sweden, this 50 passenger water taxi, has variable ballast tanks (not unlike a submarine) and an exceptionally low air draught which means that at low tide it can float high, but at high tide it can ride low and pass below the Liffey Bridges.

High speed trips out the historically unnavigable mouth of the Liffey are also available by way of Sea Safari

Downstream of the East-Link bridge, the river is still mainly used for commercial and ferry traffic, with some recreational use also.

Upstream from the city, at Chapelizod, the river is used by both university and Garda rowing clubs. The Liffey Descent canoeing event, held each year since 1960, covers a 27 km (17 miles) course from Straffan to Islandbridge.

[edit] Crossings

Dividing the Northside of Dublin from the Southside, the Liffey is spanned by numerous bridges mostly open to road traffic. These are (listed from West to East):

The Bridge at 16 (19th century wrought iron pedestrian suspension bridge crossing to the 17th tee in the K Club).
Lucan Bridge
West-Link Bridge (on the M50 motorway. Tolled)
Anna Livia Bridge (at Chapelizod)
Island Bridge
Liffey Railway Bridge (Rail Freight)
Sean Heuston Bridge
Frank Sherwin Bridge
Rory O'More Bridge
James Joyce Bridge
Mellowes Bridge
Fr. Mathew Bridge
O'Donovan Rossa Bridge
Grattan Bridge
Millennium footbridge (Pedestrian)
Ha'penny Bridge (Pedestrian)
O'Connell Bridge
Butt Bridge
Loopline Bridge (Rail)
Talbot Memorial Bridge
Sean O'Casey Bridge (Pedestrian)
East-Link Bridge (Tolled)

[edit] Quays

A view upstream from Grattan Bridge, towards the Four Courts (the domed building), with Essex Quay and Wood Quay on the right bank (left of picture) and Upper Ormond Quay on the left bank (right of picture).

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.

The quays of the Liffey include: Custom House Quay, Bachelor's Walk, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Eden Quay and Merchant's Quay.

[edit] In print and song

From Joyce to Radiohead, the Liffey is often referenced (if prosaically) in literature and song:

"riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs."
—James Joyce, Finnegans Wake (first sentence of novel).

A skiff, a crumpled throwaway, Elijah is coming, rode lightly down the Liffey, under Loopline Bridge, shooting the rapids where water chafed around the bridgepiers, sailing eastward past hulls and anchorchains, between the Custom House old dock and George’s quay.
—James Joyce, Ulysses (novel)

That there, that's not me - I go where I please - I walk through walls - I float down the Liffey
—Radiohead, "How To Disappear Completely" from album Kid A

"Somebody once said that 'Joyce has made of this river the Ganges of the literary world,' but sometimes the smell of the Ganges of the literary world is not all that literary."
—Brendan Behan, Confessions of an Irish Rebel.

Rivers of Ireland

Flowing north: Foyle | Bann | Bush | Quoile | Clanrye