If the idea of seeing the Docklands by water appeals to you, then you will have to check out the Liffey Voyage, Dublin’s tour service on the River Liffey.
The bright red, glass-roofed tour boat ‘Spirit of the Docklands’ operates between the city centre and the docklands, exploring the historical sights and landmarks along the river’s path.
The tour guide, a Canadian, Richard Martin, delivers entertaining snippets on Dublin life specific to the Liffey and the Docklands throughout the journey, offering passengers an intriguing insight into Dublin folklore and history. The script has been developed by leading Dublin historian Pat Liddy.
Richard will tell you that the river has had inhabitants on its banks since the Stone Age, and that it used to be three times its current width. Land on both sides was reclaimed starting in the 1640s, and new quay walls were built. Supporting timbers from these times can be seen at low tide.
When the Custom House was completed in 1792, it had been built on a foundation of logs and pitch, on reclaimed land that was once part of the river. At this time Ireland was the second richest city in all of Europe, and the second city of the British Empire.
The tour departs from a landing station at Bachelors Walk, passing under O’Connell Bridge downstream past the Gandon-designed Custom House. It then passes the IFSC and the Grand Canal Basin before turning around at the East Link Bridge, the last of the river’s 18 bridges. Passengers are reminded that three out of every four people who left these shores during the Great Hunger of the 1840s left from these very quays.
‘Spirit of the Liffey’ arrived in Dublin in June 2005, she was built in Sweden by boat builders Westers Mekanista, and can seat 50 passengers. She is 23 metres long and capable of travelling at 9.5 knots. The vessel is wheelchair-accessible and suitable for young and old alike.
The service is among the many initiatives being run under the Docklands Authority River Regeneration Strategy to bring life to the River Liffey and to give Dubliners and visitors alike an alternative view of the city. Skippered by Dubliner Paul Kavanagh, the Liffey Voyage operates daily and the journey time is 45 minutes. The service runs from March to November.
Tours begin at 10.30am daily and run hourly with up to six sailings per day, seven days a week. It is advisable to call or e-mail to confirm times and availability, as the schedule can vary due to extremes of tide and weather.
The service is operated by Michael O Cionna, who also operated the Liffey Ferry service, and runs Killary Cruises, which takes visitors on a tour of Killary Fjord, in Connemara, Ireland’s only fjord.
For details, call 014734082.
www.liffeyvoyage.ie