The Liffey bridges of Dublin are an extremely significant architectural feature of the city. The river itself is very important because it divides the city into North and South. In the play ‘Dublin By Lamplight’ there is much activity which occurs around the Liffey river and it’s surrounding areas. The Bridges are an important part of the Liffey River because they provide crossing and also was a place where many of the Irish citizens would come to immigrate over to the new world.
It is thought that the first bridge that was built over the river was in the thirteenth century, now there are over 10 bridges which occupy the area over the river. One of the most notable bridges is the Ha’penny Bridge, which opened in 1816 and was noted as the symbol of Dublin. The bridge got its notable name from the toll that would have been needed to cross the bridge. This bridge was the only pedestrian bridge crossing the Liffey until the Millennium bridge was opened to the public in 2000.
Another notable bridge is the Father Mathew Bridge. This bridge is in the site where the originally the only bridge crossing the Liffey could be seen. The site has an interesting history, in 1210 there were some Normans who had built a bridge here. Of course that bridge collapsed. The bridge has an interesting history of where it got it’s name from. The bridge was named after the proponent of abstinence from alcohol! It is also important to mention the Queen Maeve Bridge, which is the oldest Liffey Bridge which is still in use. It was designed by a military engineer, Chares Valency, between 1764-1768. It was a three stone elliptical bridge. It was originally just named the the Queen’s bridge after Charlotte of Mecklenburg , but was renamed the Queen Maeve bridge in 1923. In 1942 the bridges name changes again and was dubed ‘The Mellows Bridge, after Liam Mellows a republican who was executed during the Irish Civil War. The bridge today is still known as the Mellows bridge and has a strong significance in remembering the Irish Civil War and it’s many deaths. This bridge is a representative of one. The Mellows bridge remains the oldest of all the bridges across the Liffey River and it is known as one of the most attractive bridges as well.
One of the bridges which has a lot of history behind it is the Rory O’More Bridge. The bridge opened in 1859 and was named after one of the leaders in a plot to capture Dublin in 1641. During this bridges construction there were many attempts to try and destroy it. It was thought that that the bridge would cause a lot of financial damages to the surrounding ferry owners. Twenty men were arrested and taken to be held in Dublin Castle. But during a transfer to the prison there was a rescue that had been planned, but four men were killed in the process of the rescue. Because of this the bridge is now known to many as the bloody bridge, but unofficially only. The bridge can be spotted easily though because of its bright blue colour.
These are only a few of the Bridges which cross over the Liffey River but they are also the most important bridges of all the ones which can be found. All the bridges have a rich history embedded within the culture of Ireland. The Liffey River bridges provide us an insight of how the transfers could be made around the bridges and also how people within the city may use the bridges in different ways. Of course the bridges are still standing today but may not hold the same significance which they held earlier in the 1900′s and before. The play Dublin by Lamplight centers itself around the Liffey River and there is much activity around the bridges. I feel it is necessary to mention that in 2003 there was a bridge built after the playwright James Joyce, named the James Joyce Bridge. Itis interesting to mention that the location where they put this bridge is facing a house on Ushers Island, and it is the same house which Joyce sets his play ‘The Dead’.
Stefani Kleinberg