Rivers of Ireland | Look Around Ireland Rivers of Ireland Rivers of Ireland The rivers of Ireland are one of the most intriguing elements of the landscape. In proportion to the size of the island of Ireland, there exists a huge amount of rivers and river kilometres. The River Shannon is the longest in the British Isles. Apart from the 10 longest rivers listed below, there are shorter but significant rivers of great importance to the towns and cities they pass through or where they enter the sea. Some of these would include the River Lagan, which exits through Belfast, the River Foyle, which forms a very wide expanse of water as it exits through Derry City. The Avonmore and Avonbeg Rivers form the famous Meeting of the Waters joining as the River Avoca and then enter the Irish Sea at the busy port of Arklow in County Wicklow . 10 Longest Rivers of Ireland River Shannon 386km The Avoca The River Avoca is somewhat unusual as it begins as two separate rivers, the Avonmore (in Irish, Abhainn Mhór, meaning “large river”) and the Avonbeg (Abhainn Bheag, meaning “small river”). These two rivers converge to form the Avoca.

This happens at the “ Meeting of the Waters ”, a place of incredible scenic beauty.The river itself is located in the county of Wicklow and enters the sea at Arklow. It flows through the Irish village also named Avoca which is the setting for the BBC series “Ballykissangel”. Despite its amazing natural beauty, major concerns have arisen in recent years concerning pollution of the river. The Bandon The Bandon is a river located in Co. Cork . It rises in the Shehy Mountains in the west of the county and flows eastward through Dunmanway, Balineen, Enniskeane, Bandon and Inishannon to Kinsale Harbour. The river is a good fishing area and has an estimated catch of 1300 salmon and a similar catch of sea-trout per year. The Bann The Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland , stretching a total of 129 kilometres from the Mourne Mountains in County Down to the northern coast of Ireland, entering the Atlantic Ocean at Portstewart. The Bann is unusual as it flows into the very large Lough Neagh at Bannfoot, Co. Armagh before continuing its journey northward.

The has led to the River Bann being divided into two rivers; the Upper Bann which lies to the south of Lough Neagh and the Lower Bann which lies to the north. Numerous activities take place along the Bann, including cruises, canoeing, rowing, waterskiing, angling and several others. The Barrow The Barrow is one of the “Three Sisters” rivers which are comprised of the Nore, the Suir and the Barrow. All three rise in the same mountainous area of Tipperary and flow in a southerly direction. It is 192 kilometres in length (the second longest in Ireland) and enters the Atlantic Ocean at Waterford. It also links with the Grand Canal at Athy, which connects Dublin with the Shannon in the west. The Barrow also passes through the town of New Ross in Co. Wexford where the replica famine ship “ The Dunbrody ” can be seen. The Boyne The River Boyne, one of the more well-known Irish rivers, has its source near Edenderry, Co. Offaly . It is approximately 112 kilometres in length and enters the Irish Sea at Drogheda.

The River Boyne is a highly popular fishing area, particularly for trout and salmon fishing, and also boasts many beautiful scenic views along its course. However, the Boyne is most renowned for its prominence in Irish history and folklore. The Battle of the Boyne took place in 1690 near Drogheda along the banks of the river and would be considered one of the most famous battles in Irish history. Steeped in Celtic mythology, the River Boyne is also believed to be the location of “ The Salmon of Knowledge ”, an ancient Irish legend. The Corrib The River Corrib is located in Co. Galway and is one of Ireland’s shortest rivers, a mere 6 kilometres in length. Despite this, it is quite well-known as it flows through the heart of Galway City after travelling the short distance from Lough Corrib where it rises. The Corrib is also one of the most powerful rivers in Ireland and excellent for whitewater kayaking, although a certain amount of experience is recommended given the level of difficulty. Rowing is also popular in this river, and river cruises take place regularly aboard the “Corrib Princess”.

The Erne The River Erne is located in the north-west of Ireland, rising in Beaghy Lough in County Cavan and flowing in a general north-westerly direction. It is approximately 120 kilometres in length and winds its way through a number of loughs including Upper and Lower Lough Erne. The river derives its name from ancient Celtic mythology, from the name of a princess named Éirne . The Erne is also remembered in a famous Irish ballad, “Buaichaill Ó n Éirne”. Boating, water-sports and swimming also take place on the River Erne, in addition to trout fishing. The Foyle One of the more noted rivers in Ireland is the River Foyle which flows through Derry City. It is a confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne at the towns of Lifford in County Donegal and Strabane in County Tyrone . From here it flows to the City of Derry where it discharges into Lough Foyle and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean. The River Foyle is also the fastest flowing river in Europe for its size.

The river is home to a number of sporting clubs and a small mooring facility is available for small yachts in Derry City. The main sports on the river are canoeing, sailing, and rowing. Swimming is prohibited because of the dangerous currents. The Lagan The River Lagan rises on the slopes of the Slieve Croom Mountain in Co. Down and flows for 60 kilometres in a general north-easterly direction to Belfast City , where it enters the Irish Sea. The River Lagan is sometimes referred to as the birthplace of the Titanic, which was built in the Harland and Wolffe shipyard in Belfast and launched at ther mouth of the Lagan before making its way to Southampton for its doomed maiden voyage. Fish stocks in this river declined drastically at one stage but in the last few years have begun to recover somewhat. Rowing is also popular on this river. The Lee Stretching a total of 90 kilometres, the River Lee flows eastward across Co. Cork , rising in the Shehy Mountains in the west of the county and flowing through Cork City before entering the Celtic Sea near Cobh.

The Lee is synonymous with Cork sport, with the Cork Gaelic Football and Hurling teams commonly referred to as “The Leesiders”. Numerous water-sports also take place on the River Lee including rowing, kayaking and swimming. Most notably, the “Vibes & Scribes” Lee Swim, a 2000 metre swim for charity, takes place on an annual basis and attracts thousands of spectators. The river also provides an 8 kilometre stretch of salmon fishing. The Liffey The Liffey rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows for 125 kilometres through counties Wicklow , Kildare and Dublin before entering the Irish Sea at Dublin Bay. Because it is the main river associated with Dublin City , the capital of Ireland, it is quite well known. Historically, the river Liffey was a highly important trade river, even as far back as Viking times, and in the present age is still an important river for trade. The Grand Canal and Royal Canal connect the Liffey with the Shannon, further enhancing the Liffey as a trade route.

The river is used by a number of rowing clubs and the “Liffey Descent” is an annual 27 kilometre canoeing event. The Mourne The River Mourne is a tributary of the River Foyle and is located in Co. Tyrone , Northern Ireland. It rises near Newtownstewart and flows in a north-westerly direction before merging with the Foyle at Strabane. It is reputed as one of the best salmon fishing area in Northern Ireland . There is also an excellent run of sea trout from the end of June onwards. The river is home to a number of angling clubs, including the Sion Mills Angling Club which manages the fishing rights of a significant part of the River Mourne. The Moy Rising in the Ox Mountains in County Sligo , the River Moy flows 110 kilometres through Sligo and Mayo before entering the Atlantic Ocean at Killala Bay. Along its course it enters the historic town of Ballina. The Moy Valley is very popular with tourists due to the numerous historic ruins, churches, abbeys, which can be seen in this area of the countryside.

The River Moy was once one of the best salmon fisheries in Europe, however due to drift net fishing off the coast salmon numbers have declined dramatically. This eventually resulted in drift netting for salmon being banned in 2006. The Munster Blackwater The Munster Blackwater (so called to differentiate it from the Leinster Blackwater) is one of Ireland’s largest rivers and in the Irish language is known as “An Abhainn Mh ór” which translates as “the great river”. It has also been referred to as “the Irish Rhine”. The river is approximately 170 kilometres long, rising in the Mullaghareirk Mountains in Kerry , flowing east through Co. Cork before turning sharply south at Cappoquin, Co. Waterford and entering the sea at Youghal Harbour. The Munster Blackwater is best known as an excellent area for salmon fishing, although in recent years salmon stocks have sharply declined. The Nore The second of the Three Sisters, the Nore, rises on the slopes of the Devil’s Bit mountain in Co. Tipperary and flows in a south-easterly direction for 140 kilometres before joining the Barrow just north of New Ross in Co.

Wexford . The Nore also flows through the Mount Juliet estate, one of Ireland’s top golf courses. Salmon and brown trout are plentiful and fishing rights on the Nore are held by Kilkenny Fishing Club. Historically, many water-reliant industries were based on the Nore, such as breweries and distillaries. The Shannon Measuring 386 kilometres in length, the River Shannon is the longest river on the island of Ireland. Flowing in a southerly direction, the Shannon rises in the Shannon Pot in Co. Cavan on the slopes of the Cuilcagh mountain, passes through or between 10 different counties and enters the Atlantic Ocean at the Shannon Estuary near Limerick City . The river Shannon is significant from Irish historical, economical and social perspectives. As far back as the 10th century, Vikings used the Shannon in order to attack and raid Irish monasteries further inland. In the following centuries the Shannon played an important roles in many of the battles and wars which took place in Ireland as it effectively divides the western part of the island from the east.

The Shannon boasts much beautiful scenery along its course, and a wide variety of activities take place including cruises, watersports, etc. The Slaney According to Irish mythology, the River Slaney derived its name from an Irish chieftain named Slainghe who resided in the area. The Slaney is located in the south-east of the country, rising on Lugnaquilla Mountain in Wicklow and flowing southwards, mainly through Co. Wexford . It is 117 kilometres in length and is noted in particular for the abundance of wildlife along its course. Deer are common in the northern part of its course, in addition to otters, herons, etc. Because of the abundance of wildlife, bird-watching is a popular past-time for many people in the area. The Suir The River Suir (184 kilometres in length) is the third of the Three Sisters and flows south from the Devil’s Bit mountain before turning sharply east at the Comeragh Mountains (forming the border between Co. Waterford and Co. Kilkenny ) and entering the Atlantic Ocean at Wexford Harbour.

The River Suir has a rich history; stone settlements near the mouth of the river indicate that human settlement of this area dates back as far as 4000 B.C. It also formed the western border of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraí (the Barrow formed the eastern border). In recent years, Viking settlements have been discovered on the banks of the river. Many activities now take place on the Suir, with fishing and boating being two of the more popular ones. The Tolka The River Tolka flows from near Dunshaughlin in Co. Meath into the Northside of Dublin City and from there into Dublin Bay. This river is particularly noted for its flooding. This caused much damage to residential areas in the past which has resulted in the building of extra defences in recent years. The Tolka is very popular for fly fishing, with large supplies of trout and salmon. Fishing on the river is controlled by the Tolka Trout Anglers club and riparian owners. The River Tolka is also connected to the Royal Canal.

1000+ images about River Liffey on Pinterest | Adventure activities, The vikings and Convention centre "The Bridges of the River Liffey" by Fine Art America is available at: Repinned by WI/IE. _____________________________ Do feel free to visit us on for lots more pictures and stories of beautiful Ireland. See More River Liffey | river, Ireland | Britannica.com River Liffey River Thames River Liffey, Irish An Life, river in Counties Wicklow , Kildare , and Dublin , Ireland , rising in the Wicklow Mountains about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Dublin. Following a tortuous course laid out in preglacial times, it flows in a generally northwesterly direction from its source to the Lackan Reservoir, the site of a gorge cut through the Slievethoul ridge. The river then runs westward in the Kildare lowland and gradually turns northwestward to Droichead Nua and northeast to Celbridge and Leixlip. It then flows eastward through the city of Dublin, in which it is extensively canalized and bordered with quays.

It empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea , after a course of 50 miles (80 km). River Liffey, Dublin. O’Connell’s Bridge spanning the River Liffey at Dublin. Thorsten Pohl in Dublin (national capital, Ireland): City site Dublin’s geographic site is superb. Situated at the head of a beautiful bay, the city straddles the River Liffey where it breaks eastward through a hill-ringed plain to the shores of the Irish Sea. (The dark bog water draining into the river made the “black pool” that gave the city its name.) Almost certainly, this opening from the sea—leading through the mountains to the... in Kildare (county, Ireland) County Kildare is bounded by Counties Meath (north); Fingal, South Dublin, and Wicklow (east); Carlow (south); and Laoighis and Offaly (west). The River Liffey forms a gorge at Pollaphuca and runs west into the Kildare lowland, northwest to Newbridge, and northeast to Celbridge and Leixlip. The River Barrow forms much of the county’s western boundary.

Glacial deposits cover much of the surface... 2 References found in Britannica Articles Assorted References physiography of Kildare (in Kildare (county, Ireland) ) Article History Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution!

Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: March 22, 2012 URL: Access Date: January 18, 2017 Share Dublin Liffey River Cruise - Dublin | Viator Dublin Liffey River Cruise From USD $ 13.37 View price calendar We're sorry, we cannot confirm pricing due to the following: We're sorry, this tour or activity is not available at this time. Please try selecting another date and/or a different number of travelers. An error has occurred We're sorry! We've encountered a temporary glitch and cannot process your request. Our team is investigating the problem. In the meantime try pressing the back button, refreshing the page or returning to . Adult (Age 15 to 64) Senior (Age 65+) Important Info Experience the sights and history of Dublin from the water on this 45-minute cruise down the River Liffey.

From within your all-weather vessel, enjoy colorful commentary from your professional guide, and unobstructed views of the city’s main riverside attractions like Ha’penny Bridge and Custom House in safety and comfort. Suitable for all ages! Highlights Liffey River cruise through Dublin 45-minute scenic cruise past Dublin’s city-center sights Custom House, docklands, bridges and 18th-century buildings Professional commentary from your local guide Recent Photos of This Tour A view looking across the River Liffey at the Custom House, Dublin, Ireland Photo by: Anonymous Dublin landmark - Ha'penny Bridge on Liffey River. Rows of colorful houses Photo by: Anonymous nice picture from the boat Photo by: STEPHEN Y This is Captain Paul and myself after the cruise. Photo by: MommaK Liffey River Cruise Tour Guide This is Caroline! She was a great tour guide! Photo by: MommaK the covered boat that took us on a leisurely cruise down the Liffey River Photo by: MommaK What You Can Expect Dublin Liffey River Cruise Choose a morning or afternoon cruise time and head to the Boardwalk in central Dublin to embark.

Each cruise can accommodate up to 48 passengers on any sailing, and can also accommodate strollers and wheelchairs. Grab your seat in the glass-encased saloon and enjoy panoramic views of the river as you set off. Drift in warmth and comfort along the banks of the famous River Liffey and discover Dublin’s ancient history. Indulge in traditional Irish storytelling from your local guide as you pass the famous Ha’penny Bridge and the magnificent Custom House, Gandon's masterpiece of Georgian architecture from the 1790s. View the striking statues of the Famine Memorial and the Jeanie Johnston ship that successfully carried 2500 emigrants to America and Canada in the 1800s, and learn about some of Dublin’s modern landmarks such as Trinity College and the Spire on O'Connell Street. By the end of the tour, you’ll have a better understanding of Dublin’s origin story, from Viking settlement 1000 years ago and Oliver Cromwell’s epic 17th century invasion, to the developmental boom of the industrial revolution and the urban regeneration of Dublin’s Docklands. Your 45-minute tour disembarks at the launch point.

Elanora Heights Primary School - Information - Liffey Computer Co-ordinator : Judith Bennett : This page was received from the Elanora Heights Primary School on 22nd Mar, 1996 The reports come from the students of Gerard Maloney of the North Dublin National School Project , Ireland. The Liffey River, Dublin, Ireland Location The river Liffey is the main river in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. It rises in Sally Gap near Kippure in Wicklow, the county just south of Dublin. It then travels one hundred and twenty five kilometres through the centre of Dublin City, and out into Dublin Bay, and out to the Irish Sea. There are lots of bridges along the Liffey such as the Ha'penny bridge so called because it used to cost half a penny to cross it, and O'Connell bridge. The last bridge on the river is a toll bridge called the East Link , which is four hundred metres from the mouth of the Liffey. Tadhg O. On the river Liffey there are 16 bridges.The first is the Anna Livia Bridge.

THE ANNA LIVIA BRIDGE The Anna Livia Bridge was originally named Chapelizod Bridge, but it changed on 5th April 1982 and became the Anna Livia Bridge in honour of James Joyce, author of the world famous novel "Finnegan's Wake". He called the river Anna Livia Plurabelle.The bridge is built on an ancient Ford site on the old highway leading to the west of Ireland. This drawing is of Essex Bridge. ISLAND BRIDGE The Island bridge is a single 32m span masonry arch bridge. It spans the Liffey between Conyngham Road to the north and South Circular Road to the south. Soon after it had been built,the bridge was known as Island Bridge.Why? Because it was built near near an island in the River Liffey. This is now the official name of the bridge. The bridge is sometimes reffered to as Kilmainham bridge because of it's proximity to Kilmainham. The drawing is of the Old Bridge of Dublin. O'CONNELL BRIDGE O'Connell Bridge is in the city centre. It spans the Liffey between O'Connell Street to the north and O'Connell Street to the south.

It is the second bridge to stand at this point in the river. Following development of new streets,(D'olier Street, Westmoreland Street and Sackville Street), a new and wider bridge was needed due to the increase in traffic. Bindon.B.Stoney, the Ports and Docks Engineer, made plans for the new bridge to be widened to the width of Sackville street. It had the distinction of being nearly as wide as it is long. The older details by Gandon were repeated by Stoney. The bridge was renamed in 1880 in honour of Daniel O'Connell. Aoife M. The drawing is of King's Bridge. BUTT BRIDGE Butt Bridge spans the River Liffy between Beresford Place to the north and Tara Street to the south. The first bridge to be built on this site, it opened on August 26th 1879. It was built as a swivel bridge to allow shipping to come further up the river. It cost 44,662 pounds. Following an increase in traffic, rebuilding and widening of the bridge became necessary. The new bridge was designed by Joseph Mallagh.

Upon completion of the bridge in 1932, it was tested with various rollers, steam wagons and lorries to see if it conformed to standards. The bridge is called Butt Bridge in honour of Isaak Butt, leader of the Irish Party in the House of Commons and founder of the Home Rule for Ireland Movement. By: Nicola B. THE HA'PENNY BRIDGE One of Dublin's most famous bridges is the Ha'penny . The Ha'penny Bridge is a walk over bridge that crosses over the river Liffey. The official name is the Liffey Bridge , but to the people of Dublin it is Ha'penny Bridge. It was built as a toll bridge, probably to replace the Bagnio Ferry, and opened on 19 May 1816. It is an important part of Irish heritage. For a short time admirers of the Duke of Wellington called it the Wellington Bridge. But he didn't care so the name was soon dropped. Soon the name "Triangle Bridge" was given. Now the bridge is called the Ha'penny Bridge because you used to have to pay half a penny to cross it. But now you don't have to pay anything. By Patricia G.

The drawing is of the Carlisle Bridge. -------------------------------------------------------------- DUBLIN'S GREAT EXPLOSION OF 1597. Death on the LIFFEY On the afternoon of Friday, 11 March 1597, the focus of attention in the bustling hub of Dublin's maritime quarter was the wooden city crane. The crane was unloading some gunpowder from a ship moored to the dock on the Liffey. The clock over the Bridge Gate had just gone one as the sling of the crane swung four barrels towards the quay. Suddenly, in a blinding flash and a thunderous roar the scene was one of destruction. A smoking crater marked the place where 140 barrels of gunpowder had been stacked. The crane and cranehouse had been obliterated. Everywhere there were strewn shattered bodies and parts thereof. Back from the Liffey in the maze of streets and lanes of the city, venerable buildings and churches as well as private houses were displaying signs of the blast. It was several days after 11th March when the exact number of casualties were established. There were many non-natives among the dead, and some headless corpses were impossible to identify.

The first reports of 200 killed was found to be an overestimate and eventually a figure of 126 dead was settled on. To put the number of citizens killed in perspective we must realise that the population of Dublin in 1597 was probubly much less then 10,000. It's possible that up to 1 percent of the population perished on that March afternoon - equivalent to 10,000 of Dublin's population today. Robbie G. Wildlife The Draught Of Turleyhydes. In June 1331, a great shoal of very large fish was stranded at the south of Bull Island. That is at the east coast of Dublin. It was told that they were so big that if two men stood one at each side of a fish they would not be able to see each other. In that time there was a shortage of food in Dublin and the Lord justice, Sir Anthony Lucy, gave permission to the citizens to slaughter the fish and take as much as they liked. As James Joyce said "a school of turtle-hide whales stranded in hot noon, spouting, hobbling in the shallows.

Then from the starving cagework, a horde of jerkined dwarfs, my people, with flayers' knives running, scaling, hacking in green blubbery whale meat". In case you think this is a fairy tale, in the year 1598 Hendrik Goltizus drew a similar scene showing a sperm whale that was stranded on a beach in Holland. Men are shown standing around the whale. In 1983 a similar incident occurred at Bunmahon in county Wexford. Gillian L. Recreation Flags along the Liffey We did a project on flags along the River Liffey. We designed the flags with St. Michael's House, a school for disabled children. We drew the flags with pencil first and then with paint and finally with paper shapes which we had to cut out. Artists from the ARC (childrens Art centre) helped to design the flags. We had to wait a couple of weeks before we could put them up. Other schools designed more of the flags. Last September we had a day out of school to see the flags flying for the first time. Overall there were more than one hundred flags. Daniel G.

Transport on the Liffey THE LOOP LINE RAILWAY BRIDGE The Loop Line Railway Bridge connects Tara Street Station on the south of the river Liffey to Connolly Station on the north.The bridge is made of cast iron but it stands on a series of Grecian columns made of limestone. Between 1920 and 1926,Dublin Corporation investigated the possibility of building a tunnel under the Liffey which would carry the railway and abolish the Loop Line Bridge. A series of tests were carried out, but the idea was found to be impractical. EAST-LINK TOLL BRIDGE; The Toll Bridge spans from Eastwall Road to the north and the Eastlink Road to the south.The Toll Bridge system replaced a regular ferry service which had operated since 1665.The bridge consists of four precast prestresed concrete approach spans with a central steel single leaf bascule type opening span which is hydraulically operated.The total span of the bridge is 21.5m.The bridge's construction, which was a huge engineering undertaking was completed in only 18 months and was formally opened in October 1984.

Now, Dublin commuters enjoy a relatively cheap and highly efficent service operating non-stop. Rian M. The picture is comparing the Liffey in 837AD compared to 1996AD. NAMES FOR THE RIVER It would appear that at one time parts of a plain of an Irish county, Kildare were known as the plains of Liffe. The river perhaps, Abha (Irish for river) or Abhann Liffe, or, as it could have become in an Anglicised version, Avon Liffey. Through the centuries the name appears in many forms- in public records, deeds and maps - and, in the absence of a single recognised spelling, these names may well have reflected the sounds that individual scribes heard. Some of these forms follow. They suggest Irish, English, French and Latin influences.

The name of the river is Alyffy, Amliffy, Ampliffy, Amplifee, Ampnlyffy, Analiffe, Analiffy, Annalyffe, Anneliffi, Annelyffee, Anne lyffy , Annlyffy, Antlyffie, Avanalith, Avanalith, Aveneliffy, Auenlif, Aunlyffe, Avanalith, Avenesliz, Avenliffey, Avenlithe, Avenlyf, Aveyn Liffey, Avon Liffey, Liffe, Aven Liffie, Lybinum, Lyffye, River of Dublin, Ruirteach, Ruirtech. While the formal name is now Liffey, the name Anna Liffey was retained in some official documents until relatively recently; and this form would have led to James Joyce's Anna Livia Plurabelle. Another word associated with the river is the Irish word, Ruirteach, which means "raging". It is associated with the Liffey because of the flash-flooding that could change the river to a raging torrent. Fiona O. B.

From The Begining The history of Dublin as a town is normally said to date from 841,when Vikings established a fortified stockade on high ground overlooking the Liffey. Yet there is still little doubt that there was some scattered settled life in the area before their arrival. Not only was Dublin Bay one of the finest on the east coast with many places where one could beach the small curraghs (boats), then in use for travel to Britain, but also it included several natural harbours where larger craft could land. The best of these was at Black Pool (Linn Dubh) where the River Poddle entered the Liffey. This appears to have had some importance as a point of entry from and departure for Britain, as many of the most important roads seem to have met in its vicinity.The main road from the North was linked to the southern roads by a ford of hurdles across the Liffey at a shallow spot near the present Whitworth Bridge. There seem to have been at least two Gaelic settlements in the area, Ath Cliath, which was on the ridge above the ford, and Dubhlinn, a monastic enclosure of the sixth or seventh century.

These settlements, however, could not be called a town in the accepted sense of the word, for, although goods may have been imported on a large scale into the country, the Irish tended to regard ports as merely points of entry, not as centres of economic activity. Barry F. THE SHORE LINE OF THE LIFFEY 1660-1996 The picture shows the difference between the shoreline, at high tide in 1660 and today. In the year 800, before man influenced the shape of the river, the water level in the Liffey rose and fell with the tide to the very much the same levels as it does today. . The tide reached somewhere around Islandbridge, and the level of the water was, of course, also influenced by the amount of rain falling into the Liffey basin. At Wood Quay in 800 the shore was more than 100 metres south of the present river wall. East of the mouth of the river Poddle, the first sign of an estuary appeared.

From 1600 onwards, the high tide shore line of the Liffey has been progressively contained within the quay walls, land reclamations, and the great walls in the bay. Low tides no longer expose large areas of mud or sand within the region of the river channel. In the city, from the Pigeonhouse to Islandbridge, the width of the river is virtually the same at both extremes of the tide. Fiona VIKINGS When the year 841 AD came around the history of Ireland was changed forever, for it was the year that the Vikings settled in Ireland .They settled in a small village on the east coast of Ireland and after a couple of years they turned it into a small fortified town. The town was placed along side a river where they would come in the first time they invaded Ireland which was in 795 A.D. The river is now better know as the river Liffey. The Vikings were very important to Ireland and its history. They built the city walls and some of the buildings. There are still rich archaeological remains still visible in Wood Quay. They had also introduced stone into the country.

The Vikings intermarried and started a new culture, and they adapted very quickly to the Irish language and the countryside. When they started the new culture they named the city Dubh Linn after the river. Dubh Linn means the black pool but the river wasn't polluted it was just naturally occurring. Over the centuries the name changed from Dubh Linn to what its now know as Dublin. This possibly occurred from misunderstanding the word Dubh Linn and then passing it on through the ages. Marie Claire D and Jenny O HISTORIC BUILDINGS ON THE LIFFEY Soyers Food Kitchen There is an area near the city center on the banks of the Liffey which appears never to have been built on and in winter 1847 while the Great Famine was raging in Ireland there were many people who where on the brink of starvation. To offer assistance the government invited Alexis Soyer who was probably the most famous chef in Europe at the time to help them. He had made a soup that if eaten with some bread would sustain a man or woman for a day and he was asked to provide this soup in Dublin.

Woodham Smith records in The Great Hunger that a soup kitchen was made at the front of the Royal Barracks in Dublin in April 1847. It was a big wooden building about forty feet long and thirty feet wide and there was a door at each end. People waited outside the building and then were led down a narrow alley and then a bell rang and they were let in a hundred at a time. They sat at a long table. Their soup was served from a 300 gallon boiler into bowls stuck into the table and they ate their food with spoons that were chained to the bowls. Things were like this because people were poor and they may have robbed the bowls and spoons. Anyway they lapped up their soup, went out, a bell rang and another hundred were let in. One must be thankful to Soyer for his compassion but it's thought maybe the government were only avoiding bigger trouble in the form of rioting by setting up this feeding program. Kevin M. The Custom House The Custom House was designed by James Gandon, a very famous architect of his time, and was started in 1791. The Custom House was built of granite and Portland stone and cost about half a million pounds.

It was burnt in 1921 but the outside was mostly unharmed. At the back of the Custom House are four statues representing Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Christ Church Cathedral In the middle of the medieval town we find the old cathedral of the Holy Trinity, better known as Christ Church. This was founded about 1030 by King Sitric Silkbeard and Bishop Dunan, and the late twelfth century crypt is the oldest standing building in Dublin. With the conversion of St. Patrick's Church to cathedral status, Dublin become the only diocese in Latin Christdom with two cathedrals co-existing in the same town - one secular and the other monastic. St Patrick's Catherdral Have you heard of Gulliver's Travels? Who hasn't? Jonathan Swift the famous writer of Gullivers Travels was Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral which is on the bank of the River Liffey. by Stephen C.R. THE LIFFEY QUAYS The Liffey quays were almost all built in stone.

In their early days, the waterside edge of most of them was unprotected, which is indeed the most natural condition for a quay; or there were houses or high walls along the river, with acess to the water being by slips between or through them. The stone parapets on the Liffey quays were built generally at the end of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, mostly under the direction of George Halpin Senior, inspector and later engineer for the Port Corporation. Extensive lengths of the quays downsteam still have unprotected edges. Under state legislation, the maintenance of the quay walls from Rory O'More brige to the sea, being technically in navigable waters, is the responsibility of the Dublin Corporation. Sea going river traffic has been steadily pushed downstream over the last three hundred years by the successive building of river bridges eastwards, and there is now no sea going traffic west of Talbot Memorial Bridge. The last quay up river to be in active use was the Victoria Quay where the Guinness steam barges with their distinctive folding funnels continued to operate until 1961. The openings in the parapets which gave access to their jetties can still be identified by the stonework used to fill them.

The South Quays The quays on the south bank of the Liffey today, listed in the order of construction, are as follows. The year given for each is not precise, as it takes more than one year to build a quay. Other names used for the quays are in brackets. Wood Quay 900 {Coal Quay} Merchants Quay 1300 {Bridge Street Quay and, jointly with Wood Quay, Dublin Quay} Blind Quay early 1700s Old Custom House Quay 1620 Usher's Quay 1650 Ben H THE WEIR AND ISLAND AT ISLAND BRIDGE In 1220 the citizens of Dublin complained to Henry 111, saying "the prior and friars of the Hospital of Kilmainham have lately made a pool there whereby the city and citizens are much damnified". This would have been the weir in more or less its present position, and the purposes of the friars would have been to develop the millstream, which is still to be seen, and possibly also to reduce the contamination of the drinkable Liffey water by tidal salt water and city waste.

The King sided with the citizens and ordered his judiciary to "cause to be surveyed by good and lawful men of the venue of Dublin the pool which the Hospitaliers have made in the Avenesliz so boats bearing wood and other necessaries to the village of Dublin may pass and repass and fish may ascend and descend"; and he later ordered the obstruction to be removed. However for reasons that remain unclear, this was never done. Barry F. THE RIVER HEADS When James Gandon was commissioned to design the custom house, he approached Edward Smyth. Edward Smyth was a virtually unknown sculpturer, but then James Gandon took him on as his principal sculpturer .He designed fourteen river head stones based on the traditional classical motifs and incorporated the principal features of the counties they flowed through. He worked on them throughout the 1780's and they were completed in 1786. Cailin F. The Civic Offices and Wood Quay The Civic Offices are Dublin Corporation. They were built a few years ago, and when they were built, it caused a lot of controversy.

About fifty years after the Norsemen established their settlement, they constructed an earthen bank below the ridge, to hold back the tide and to make space for loading and unloading their ships. This was the first wood quay, the oldest quay in Dublin. Since then, the quay area has increased, by simply repeatedly building in front of the old work, which, of course, was built by the Vikings. Now, at present day, the river has been pushed back at least 20 metres, and the formation of the wood quay is just about complete. After declaring it a historical place, a lot of people are now extremely angry that the civic offices were built on wood quay. Conor M. This is part of the Four Courts. TOWER ON THE RIVER In 1585,Sir John Perrott ordered a survey to be made of the walls of the city. The walls were fitted with towers and six of these were on the riverside. These buildings formed part of the defences of the city.

ISSOLDE'S TOWER Issolde's Tower was a fortified building twelve meters high, round on the outside and was 5.4 metres square inside with two floors and walls 2.7 metres thick. In 1558 it was let to the "master, wardens and corporation of the bakers." About fifty years later in 1604 this tower was leased to Jacob Mewman for 119 years and Speed, in his map of 1610 described it as Mewman's Tower. It was located forty metres from the south end of Essex[now Grattan] Bridge and it marked the eastern end of the early quays. In 1577 Richard Stanihurst wrote of Issolde's Tower. Whilst this scarcely dates the first mention of the name, the tower in its prominent position over looking the Poddle-Liffey confluence must have seemed of dateless antiquity. The demolition of the tower was sanctioned by the Council in 1681. David K. NELSON'S PILLAR This famous landmark towered above Dublin 40 metres tall until March 1966..

It was a favourite rendez-vouz for citizens of Dublin and a great view of the city was to to be seen from it's summit. It stood on O Connell street by the Liffey until some person(s) unknown decided in the heat of Nationalist fervour that it was not fitting to have Admiral Nelson's naval exploits commemorated in the principal street of our capital city. It was blown up during the night. A popular song at the time went .... "UP WENT NELSON IN OLD DUBLIN...." A CONTEMPORARY BUILDING Millenium Clock in the Liffey A huge clock is being built under the water in the river Liffey. It will show citizens how many seconds to the next millennium . The National Lottery is funding money towards building it. The building has just started and it should be ready some time this year(1996). By Colleen F. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NOVELS ABOUT THE LIFFEY James Joyce and the Liffey "O tell me all about Anna Livia!I want to hear all about Anna Livia.Well, you know Anna Livia? Yes, of course we all know Anna Livia. Tell me all.

" This is a quote from JAMES JOYCE`S famous book FINNEGAN'S WAKE. "Perkodhuskurunbarggruauyagokgorlayorgromgremmitghundhurthrumathunaradidilli- faititibumullunukkunun." This is just one of the strange words that JAMES JOYCE uses in FINNEGAN'S WAKE, does anyone know what it means ? We have many famous writers such as OSCAR WILDE, SAMUEL BECKETT, and, most recently of all, SEAMUS HEANEY, who won a nobel prize for literature. These are only three of Ireland`s famous writers but there are many more. The great novel, "ULYSSES", by JAMES JOYCE, was written about a journey across Dublin, over the Liffey, on June 16th 1904 - a date which is now observed as Bloomsday in Dublin. When the book was published it was banned in Dublin!! A strange thing about ULYSSES is that the last chapter, many pages long, has only one full stop - at the very end of the book!

Kynan F. Art Inspired by the Liffey Over the years the Liffey has managed not only to inspire a great deal of creativity , but as well to earn a place in several novels, most note- worthy perhaps the chapter in James Joyce's novel Finnegan's Wake entitled Anna Livia Plurabelle (You can find some of that chapter in another article). In a recent project named flags along the Liffey, some of the flags were inspired by the Liffey, some of the flags (one of ours included) featured buildings along the banks of the Liffey. If you are more interested in this project there is a section about it on our Homepage. One of the beautiful statues along O'Connell Street is the Anna Livia statue. It was designed by Eamon O'Doherty. It is about eight years old and the statue is made of bronze and the fountain is made of granite. The inspiration for the statue came from the chapter (mentioned already) written by James Joyce. The statue has several nick-names including Biddy in the Bidet and the floozie in the jacuzzi which is a sure sign of affection among Dubliners. Maev Mac C.

POLLUTION AND THE RIVER LIFFEY Shell fish was a big trade at a small price in Dublin 80 years ago. Well over 80 tonnes was sold every year. There was also a lot of typhoid spreading. It was thought that the typhoid came from the contaminated shell fish. There was a poem about a woman called Molly Malone who sold shell fish for a living. In Dublin's fair city Where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone. As she wheeled her wheelbarrow Through streets broad and narrow Crying "Cockles and Mussels She died of a fever And no-one could save her And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone Now her ghost wheels her barrow Through streets broad and narrow Crying "Cockles and Mussels Alive alive oh! etc.... There is a verse that says "She died of a fever and no one could save her and that was the end of sweet Molly Malone". Molly Malone probably died of the contaminated shell fish. The cockle trade ended because of the highly polluted river. After a while nothing could live in the Liffey. Because of this, a group of people started to clean up the Liffey.

Now salmon and other fish are able to swim and able to be caught in the Liffey up stream and eaten. Sean M.S.

Question: Dublin, in Ireland, lies on which river?
Answer: River Liffey