Journal • 06/10/2022

Dublin Quays

The city of Dublin evolved around Liffey forming a cultural link with the river with the city’s major festivals and events being celebrated around the quays including the St. Patrick’s Day parade that starts at Parnell square and moves towards south crossing the O’Connell Bridge.

Dublin forms its character around the river Liffey bisected into two parts -north and south side with the two roadways and Quays extending on either edge of the river to a little more than 4 kms. The building of the quays was engineered for the preservation of river bank land from periodic flooding. The city connects through 20 bridges over the river including, pedestrian, vehicular and tram connections that links the quays on either side. The city forms its essence through the quays, the river and the docklands towards the east. A typical section of a quay extends from the river to a high wall edging a wide pedestrian pathway, dedicated cycle and bus lanes and a vehicular carriageway. For few segments the pathways extend into linear plazas with seating. This arrangement makes the quays pedestrian focused. The public transport and traffic measures saves about 30% upon the journey time (as per the report by national transport authority Ireland) for commuters benefitting the pedestrians and cyclist with more space and lesser noise and intrusions. The roadways offer a potential of adding avenues of native trees and some informal planting in the plazas.

The northern quays also connect to the river through boardwalks at several locations acting as a lower promenade that appears floating right above the water edge. Some of Dublin’s significant landmarks are by the quays such as the Custom house in Custom House Quays, Four Courts, EPIC Irish Immigration Museum, International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), Dublin City Council Office, the lively Temple bar street and many more. The interface has a strong link with the river and the connection is made stronger by adding lower promenades in few segments closer to the water level which gives the passerby a choice to take another trail and connect more with the river. The quays give an opportunity for a nice calm evening walk as a respite from the day-to-day things providing a sustainable, and innovative character to the city and a unique sense of place to Dubliners.

Contributed by Arshi Lodha

Instagram @a.sketch.journal

References

Dublin Quays – Archiseek – Irish Architecture – https://www.archiseek.com/tag/dublin-quays/ • Liffey Cycle Route – Dublin City Council – Citizen Space – https://consultation.dublincity.ie

Exhibition – Dublin Waters: the Liffey, the canals and the port – 

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/exhibition/dublin/waters.html 

 Dublin Quays Bus priority – https://www.nationaltransport.ie/dublin-quays-bus-priority-measures-lead substantial-reduction-bus-journey-times/