21st century Dublin along the River Liffey
People walk past the Temple Bar pub in Dublin on the River Liffey. Dublin is a vibrant city with a thriving music scene and has been voted one of the top 25 cities of the world in which to live. (Oct. 15, 2009) Credit: Getty Images
There is arguably no place more central to Ireland's capital than the River Liffey, snaking its way through the city and dividing Dublin into north and south sides before emptying into the Irish Sea at the city's edge.
It is along the Liffey riverbanks that many of Dublin's most iconic sites can be found: the majestic Custom House, the quaintly preserved pedestrian Ha'penny Bridge, the Guinness brewery. In paintings, postcards and memories, the riverbanks form the perfect microcosm of Dublin and its lifeblood, thriving with traffic, pedestrians and the buzz of the capital.
Many visitors to Dublin use the Liffey as a landmark to point them in the direction of major tourist sites. But that limits their riverbank wandering to the city center, from famed O'Connell Street down to the cobblestoned warren of the Temple Bar tourist quarter and nearby museums.
Those who venture farther, however, following the river to Dublin Port, will find a new, modern Dublin along the shore. Both sides of the river were known as rough areas until the 1980s - the haunts of hardened sailors and dockhands - but now they're replete with dining and entertainment options in a sleek, trendy setting. Mixed in among these neighborhoods on the north and south sides, one also can find elements of the old Dublin tucked away, along with memorials and reminders of the city and country's rich history.
THE DOCKLANDS
Following the Liffey on the north side away from the city center, visitors will come upon a beautifully restored building called chq - the latest incarnation of a former tobacco store with vaults underneath. Bright and airy, with a glass exterior, the building now houses a handful of eateries, high-end shops and the occasional art installation (chq.ie).
WHAT TO DO
The area next to the chq building hosts annual events, including Christmas market in December, a Fringe Festival in late summer and an Oktoberfest celebration in autumn. Each of these events brings droves of people into the Docklands, and most feature food, artisan kiosks and various performances with an electric, festive ambience.
Just across from this space, however, is a somber sight on the north banks of the Liffey: A famine memorial with life-size sculptures of starving men and women, and even a skeletal dog, making their way toward Dublin Port to leave Ireland's shores during the Great Famine of the 1840s. Just a few steps away, closer to the port, a replica of the ship Jeanie Johnston is anchored in tribute to the 2 million who emigrated.
The rest of the north side of the Docklands features swanky new apartments and a conference center with a tilted glass-enclosed front. The O2 is a recently revamped entertainment hall at the edge of the quays before the port - it's the largest indoor concert hall in Ireland, with 9,500 seats. Upcoming shows including Kings of Leon, Elton John and Shakira (the02.ie).
The newly opened Wheel of Dublin carries riders, Ferris-wheel style, in enclosed, climate-controlled capsules up to the sky for a bird's-eye view of the city. Rides last just under 15 minutes and cost about $12.50 - VIP capsules have glass floors and Champagne for riders (about $130 for up to four people, worldtouristattractions.co.uk).
PIT STOP
The MV Cill Airne is an anchored ship that has been turned into a bar and restaurant. It's a beautiful place to have a drink on a sunny day, surveying the Liffey's long riverbanks while enjoying a pint of Guinness on the deck. During (frequent) rainy weather, diners also can enjoy a gourmet meal with river views on the enclosed main deck in Quay 16 restaurant (mvcillairne.com).
GRAND CANAL DOCK
Crossing to the other side of the river - possibly using either the pedestrian Sean O'Casey Bridge or the just-opened Samuel Beckett Bridge, both named for Dublin-born writers - leads to an even trendier part of the city. Grand Canal Dock is a chic collection of bright lights, fashionable apartments and stylish restaurants. A few blocks away, Facebook opened its international headquarters in a Grand Canal Dock building, and Google's European headquarters stands a 10-minute walk from the river - signaling the area's arrival as a 21st century center of commerce and technology.
WHAT TO DO
U2's former recording studio, Windmill Lane, is here, covered in graffiti left by hard-core fans on pilgrimages to the band's home city and haunts. The neighborhood is home to the Daniel Libeskind-designed Grand Canal Theatre, an asymmetric architectural masterpiece that hosts concerts, musical theater performances and other shows (grandcanaltheatre.ie).
PIT STOP
The old-school Ferryman Pub, formerly a watering hole for the local workingmen, is now more often packed with suited lawyers and other corporate types who stop in for pints after work. It's painted red on the outside and jam-packed with typical Irish pub decorations (framed photos, dusty bottles on shelves, everything you'd expect to find in an old-time Dublin "local"). But, like so many other places in this recently gentrified area, it's a great mix of old and new (theferryman.com).
READERS' PICKS
The Docklands has sprung up as a trendier destination within walking distance of the city's many other top sites. Among the classic shouldn't-miss spots:
TEMPLE BAR
SUBMITTED BY: Edmund and Kathleen Nitz of Farmingville
One of Dublin's bustling neighborhoods, Temple Bar is an ideal home base from which to explore the city. The Nitzes stayed at the Clarence Hotel, "right in the midst of all the action," Kathleen writes, and they recommend the Temple Bar pub for its menu, service and decor.
INFO theclarence.ie, thetemplebarpub.com
TRINITY COLLEGE - BOOK OF KELLS
SUBMITTED BY: Joyce Kane of East Rockaway
Trinity's library houses the Book of Kells, with four volumes of intricately decorated Gospels manuscript pages that date back to circa 800. Pages are on permanent display, some enlarged and illuminated in a beautiful way, Kane said.
INFO bookofkells.ie
KILMAINHAM GAOL
SUBMITTED BY: Tom and Alicia Bannon of Bellerose
The Bannons consider the former prison one of the most interesting sites they visited in Dublin. The guided tour, they write, was "excellent," and the Gaol itself figured prominently in the history of the various Irish revolts against British rule.
INFO heritageireland.ie
