Bridges of Dublin book

19th January 2016 in Announcements Site News

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Críona Ní Dhálaigh, recently launched the companion book to the Bridges of Dublin web site. ‘Bridges of Dublin: The Remarkable Story of Dublin’s Liffey Bridges’ is a vivid exploration of more than one thousand years of bridges over the river Liffey. From the time of the Vikings and their simple, wooden bridge, through Dublin’s late 17th century expansion when four new bridges were built within 14 years, to the iconic Ha’penny Bridge the story of a city and its bridges is told.

Dublin’s bridges are not mere structures. They are monuments to heroes and heroines, celebrations of a great literary heritage, romantic reminders of gentler times and futuristic style statements of a city’s confidence in itself. They are portals to the city’s past revealing tales of bloody battles, political intrigue, innovative engineers and architects, dubious developers and romantic liaisons.

From the oldest surviving, Mellows Bridge of 1768, to the newest, the Rosie Hackett Bridge of 2014, all 24 bridges and those they replaced are eloquently described. Striking photographs, reproductions of old maps and illustrations along with suggested walking tours complement the remarkable story of the bridges of Dublin. Lavishly illustrated, this book is essential for all those who are interested in this important part of Dublin’s history.

The book, published by Dublin Corporation Public Libraries and written by Annette Black and Michael Barry, is available in book stores and online via Four Courts Press, Amazon, Book Depository.