River Liffey

River Liffey
Boardwalks of Liffey from O'Connell Bridge, in Dublin
Location
Country	Ireland
Physical characteristics
Source
⁃ location	Kippure, County Wicklow
⁃ elevation	500 m (1,600 ft)
Mouth
⁃ location	Irish Sea at Dublin Bay
Length	125 km (78 mi)
Basin size	1,256 km2 (485 sq mi)
Discharge
⁃ average	Annual: 13.8 m3/s (490 cu ft/s) Aug: 3.7 m3/s (130 cu ft/s) Dec: 29.8 m3/s (1,050 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
⁃ left	Ballylow Brook, King's River, Lemonstown Stream, Kilcullen Stream, Pinkeen Stream, Rye Water, Silleachain Stream, Furry Glen Stream, Magazine Stream, Finisk Stream, Bradogue River
⁃ right	Sraghoe, Cransillagh, Athdown Brook, Shankill River, Brittas River, Morell River, Griffeen River, Glenaulin Stream, Creosote Stream, Camac River, River Poddle, Stein River, River Dodder

The River Liffey (Irish: An Life) is a river in Ireland that flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac; the river supplies much of Dublin's water and a range of recreational activities.^[1]

Name[edit]

Ptolemy's Geography (2nd century AD) described a river, perhaps the Liffey, which he labelled Οβοκα (Oboka). Ultimately this led to the name of the River Avoca.^[2]

The Liffey was previously named An Ruirthech, meaning "fast (or strong) runner";^[3] 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.^[4] It was also known as the Anna Liffey,^[5] possibly from an anglicisation of Abhainn na Life, the Irish phrase that translates into English as "River Liffey".^[6] James Joyce embodies the river as "Anna Livia Plurabelle" in Finnegans Wake.

Course and system[edit]

The River Liffey flowing through Newbridge College in Co. Kildare

The Liffey rises in the Liffey Head Bog between the mountains of Kippure 742 metres (2,434 ft) and Tonduff 642 metres (2,106 ft) in the northern section of the Wicklow Mountains, forming from many streamlets at Sally Gap, it flows for 132 km (82 mi)^[7] through counties Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin before entering the Irish Sea at its mouth at the midpoint of Dublin Bay, on a line extending from the Baily lighthouse to the Muglin Rocks. It crosses from County Wicklow into County Kildare at Poulaphouca and from County Kildare into County Dublin at Leixlip, with most of its length being in Kildare.

The catchment area of the Liffey is 1,256 km² (485 sq mi);^[8] the long term average flow rate of the river is 18.0 m³/s (640 cu ft/s).^[8]

Tributaries[edit]

The Liffey system includes dozens of smaller rivers and streams. Early tributaries include the Athdown Brook, Shankill River, Ballylow Brook, Brittas River and Woodend Brook, as well as the substantial King's River.

Downstream of Poulaphouca are the Lemonstown Stream, Kilcullen Stream and Pinkeen Stream, followed by the Painestown River (with tributaries including the Morell River), Rye Water (with tributaries including the Lyreen), and the Griffeen River.

Within Dublin are the various Phoenix Park streams on the left bank, interspersed with right bank tributaries such as the Glenaulin Stream and Creosote Stream.^[9]

Within the quays area tributaries include the River Camac, possibly Colman's Brook, the Bradoge River, River Poddle, Stein River and the River Dodder, some of which have numerous tributaries of their own.

In earlier times, the River Tolka was also arguably a tributary of the Liffey, or at least shared its mouth, but it now enters Dublin Bay distinctly, some distance to the north.

Dams, reservoirs and falls[edit]

There are dams for three ESB hydroelectric power stations along the river, at Poulaphouca, Golden Falls and Leixlip. Major reservoir facilities also exist at Poulaphouca; the Liffey does not feature natural lakes, and has few islands.

Significant falls at Poulaphouca and at Golden Falls were flooded by reservoir construction. There remain areas of rapids, including as the river approaches Dublin city.

Settlements[edit]

Towns along the river include Ballymore Eustace, Athgarvan, Kilcullen, Newbridge, Caragh, Clane, Celbridge, Leixlip and Lucan before the river reaches the city of Dublin as it approaches its mouth.

The Ha'penny Bridge.

Navigation and uses[edit]

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, it is connected to the River Shannon via the Grand Canal and the Royal Canal.

Water supply[edit]

Around 60% of the Liffey's flow is abstracted for drinking water and to supply industry. Much of this makes its way back into the river after purification in wastewater treatment plants. Despite a misconception that the Guinness brewery is one such commercial user,^[10] the facility uses water piped from the Wicklow Mountains.^[11]

Electricity generation[edit]

ESB hydroelectric power stations exist along the river, at Poulaphouca, Golden Falls and Leixlip, in addition to a number of minor private installations.

Traffic[edit]

"Sarah's Bridge on the River Anna Liffey" (1831) Sarah's Bridge is today called Island Bridge. The then-new Wellington Monument is seen on the left

A well-known sight on the Liffey up to the 1990s, the Lady Patricia^[12] and Miranda Guinness^[12] cargo ships were used to export Guinness from the St. James's Gate Brewery.

As of the early 21st century, 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 was built by Westers Mekaniska in Sweden as a 50-passenger water taxi, its variable ballast tanks (not unlike a submarine) and low air draught mean that at low tide it can float high, but at high tide it can ride low and still pass below the Liffey's bridges.

Downstream of the East-Link bridge, the river is still mainly used for commercial and ferry traffic, with some recreational use also. High speed trips out the mouth of the Liffey were also previously available from Sea Safari.^[13]

Recreational use[edit]

The 2007 Liffey Swim passes the Dublin Boardwalk

Upstream from the city, at Chapelizod, the river is used by private, university and Garda rowing clubs.

The Liffey Descent canoeing event, held each year since 1960, covers a 27 km (17 mi) course from Straffan to Islandbridge; the Normal Tidal Limit (NTL) of the river is Islandbridge (weir). The Liffey Swim takes place every year in late August or early September between Watling Bridge and The Custom House; the Islandbridge stretch of river accommodates a number of rowing clubs including Trinity College, UCD, Commercial, Neptune, and the Garda rowing club.

The Liffey is widely used for recreational activities – such as canoeing, rafting,^[14] fishing, swimming, significant facilities are at Poulaphouca, Kilcullen, Newbridge, where a seven-acre Liffey Linear Park has been developed, and other facilities are located further downriver at Leixlip and other towns.

Crossings[edit]

History[edit]

The earliest stone bridge over the Liffey of which there is solid evidence was the Bridge of Dublin (on the site of the current Fr. Mathew Bridge), built by the Dominicans in 1428, which survived well into the 18th century.^[15] This four-arch bridge included various buildings such as a chapel, bakehouse and possibly an inn^[16] and replaced an earlier wooden bridge (Dubhghalls Bridge) on the same site. Island Bridge (a predecessor of the current bridge) was added in 1577.

With the development of commercial Dublin in the 17th century, four new bridges were added between 1670 and 1684: Barrack, or Bloody Bridge, (the forerunner of the current Rory O'More Bridge), Essex Bridge (Grattan Bridge), Ormond Bridge (O'Donovan Rossa Bridge) and Arran Bridge; the oldest bridge still standing is Mellows Bridge, (originally Queens Bridge) constructed in 1764 on the site of Arran Bridge, which was destroyed by floods in 1763. The first iron bridge was the Ha'penny Bridge built in 1816. Farmleigh Bridge, also iron, was built around 1872 at the end of a tunnel and connected Farmleigh estate to Palmerstown.^[17]

21st century additions include Seán O'Casey Bridge (2005), Samuel Beckett Bridge (2009),^[18][19] and Rosie Hackett Bridge (2014).^[20]

Present day[edit]

Ship Jeanie Johnston at River Liffey.

Dividing the Northside of Dublin from the Southside, the Liffey is today spanned by numerous bridges, mostly open to vehicular traffic; these include the West-Link Bridge on the M50 motorway, Seán Heuston Bridge and O'Connell Bridge. There are 3 pedestrian bridges in the city: the Millennium Bridge, Seán O'Casey Bridge and the Ha'penny Bridge. 21st century additions include the Samuel Beckett Bridge (2009) and James Joyce Bridge (2003), both designed by Santiago Calatrava.

Crossings further upriver include the Liffey Bridge at Celbridge, "The Bridge at 16" (a 19th-century pedestrian suspension bridge at what is now the K Club), and the Leinster Aqueduct – which carries the Grand Canal over the Liffey at Caragh.^[1]

Art works along the river and its quays include the Famine Memorial Statues (near the IFSC) and the World Hunger Stone.^[21]

Quays[edit]

The song about Seamus Rafferty refers to the "bowsies on the quay"; However, from the late 20th-century there was some renewed development on the quays, with the addition of linear parks and overhanging boardwalks.

There are quays on the north and south banks of the Liffey, extending from the weir at Islandbridge to Ringsend bridge over the river Dodder, just before the East-Link toll bridge.

From west to east, the quays on the north bank are:

Bridgewater, Wolfe Tone, Sarsfield, Ellis, Arran, Inns, Ormond Upper, Ormond Lower, Bachelors Walk, Eden, Custom House, and North Wall.

From west to east, the quays on the south 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.

A panoramic view of Bachelors Walk taken from the opposite side, Aston Quay

Incidents[edit]

In December 2000, a Bus Éireann bus, crossing the Liffey at Butt Bridge, collided with another bus and skidded into the Liffey. There were some injuries, but no-one was killed.^[22]

In July 2011, a long-term homeless man rescued his pet rabbit after it had been thrown into the river. Diving off O'Connell Bridge in front of hundreds of people, videos of the rescue circulated on the internet, and the man received an honour (and job offer at an animal shelter) for his actions;^{[23][24][25][26]} the man who threw the rabbit into the river was arrested.^[27]

Annalistic references[edit]

In the Annals of Inisfallen for the year 808, an entry reads:

AI808.2 A defeat [inflicted] by the Laigin on Áed, son of Niall, at the river of Liphe.

Popular culture references[edit]

Liffey quays at dusk

The River Liffey at sunset

From Joyce to Radiohead, the Liffey is often referenced in literature and song:

That is the first of a number of references to the Liffey in the Wake: insofar as the book has characters, the female protagonist of the novel, Anna Livia Plurabelle, is herself an allegory of the river.

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).

See also[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to River Liffey, Ireland.

• HMS Liffey
• List of rivers in Ireland
• Rivers of Ireland

References[edit]

Route map: