# O'Connell Bridge

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Bridge over the River Liffey in Ireland

"Carlisle Bridge" redirects here. For the bridge in Lancaster, England, see [Carlisle Bridge, Lancaster](/source/Carlisle_Bridge%2C_Lancaster).

O'Connell Bridge Droichead Uí Chonaill O'Connell Bridge viewed from the west Coordinates 53°20′50″N 6°15′33″W / 53.3473°N 6.2591°W / 53.3473; -6.2591 Crosses River Liffey Locale Dublin, Ireland Other name Carlisle Bridge Preceded by Ha'penny Bridge Followed by Rosie Hackett Bridge Characteristics Material Granite, portland stone Total length ~45 m Width ~50 m (~45 m between parapets[1]) No. of spans 3 History Designer James Gandon Construction start 1791; 235 years ago (1791) (reconstruction commenced 1877; 149 years ago (1877)) Construction end 1794; 232 years ago (1794) (reconstruction completed 1882; 144 years ago (1882)) Location Interactive map of O'Connell Bridge

**O'Connell Bridge** ([Irish](/source/Irish_language): *Droichead Uí Chonaill*)[2] is a road bridge spanning the [River Liffey](/source/River_Liffey) in [Dublin](/source/Dublin), Ireland, which joins [O'Connell Street](/source/O'Connell_Street) to [D'Olier Street](/source/D'Olier_Street), [Westmoreland Street](/source/Westmoreland_Street) and the [south quays](/source/Dublin_quays).

View of bridge from the south with [O'Connell Street](/source/O'Connell_Street) in the background

## History

### Carlisle Bridge

The original bridge (named *Carlisle Bridge* after the then [Lord Lieutenant of Ireland](/source/Lord_Lieutenant_of_Ireland) – [Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle](/source/Frederick_Howard%2C_5th_Earl_of_Carlisle)) was designed by [James Gandon](/source/James_Gandon), and built between 1791 and 1794.[3]

Originally humped,[3] and narrower, *Carlisle bridge* was a symmetrical, three semicircular arch structure constructed in [granite](/source/Granite) with a Portland stone [balustrade](/source/Balustrade) and [obelisks](/source/Obelisks) on each of the four corners.[4] A keystone head at the apex of the central span symbolises the [River Liffey](/source/River_Liffey), corresponding to the heads on [the Custom House](/source/The_Custom_House) (also designed by [James Gandon](/source/James_Gandon)) which personify the other great [rivers of Ireland](/source/Rivers_of_Ireland).

Straight on or left or right to [Westmoreland Street](/source/Westmoreland_Street) only. A busy scene from the 1930s with [Dublin United Tramways Company](/source/Dublin_United_Tramways_Company) trams.

### O'Connell Bridge reconstruction

Since 1860, following similar work on *Essex Bridge* (now [Grattan Bridge](/source/Grattan_Bridge)) to improve the streetscape and relieve [traffic congestion](/source/Traffic_congestion) on the bridge, it was intended to widen Carlisle Bridge to bring it to the same width as 70-metre (230 ft)-wide Sackville Street (now O'Connell Street), which formed the north side carriageway connection to the Bridge.[4] Between 1877 and 1880 the bridge was reconstructed and widened.[5] As can be seen on orthophotography [6] it spans now 45 m (148 ft) of the Liffey and is about 50 m (160 ft) wide.

When the bridge was reopened around 1882 it was renamed for [Daniel O'Connell](/source/Daniel_O'Connell), when the statue in his honour was unveiled.[a]

In recent years, the lamps that graced the central island have been restored to their five-lantern glory. In 2004, a pair of pranksters installed a plaque on the bridge dedicated to [Father Pat Noise](/source/Father_Pat_Noise), which remained unnoticed until May 2006,[8] and was still there as of June 2020.

Carlisle Bridge, c. the 1870s

## In popular culture

The bridge is the setting of [Liam O'Flaherty](/source/Liam_O'Flaherty)'s short story, *[The Sniper](/source/The_Sniper_(story))*, and is also referenced in several other works, including [James Joyce](/source/James_Joyce)'s novel, *[Ulysses](/source/Ulysses_(novel))*.[9]

[Arthur Fields](/source/Arthur_Fields_(photographer)), locally known as *The Man on The Bridge*, took more than 182,000 photographs of pedestrians on the bridge from the 1930s to the 1980s.[10][11]

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** There are actually two O'Connell Bridges in Dublin. The other spans the pond in [St Stephen's Green](/source/St_Stephen's_Green).[7]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Ronald C. Cox; Michael H. Gould (1998). [*Ireland – Civil Engineering Heritage*](https://books.google.com/books?id=nfTy6VSUDqMC&q=o%27connell+bridge&pg=PA42). Telford. p. 41. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7277-2627-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7277-2627-8). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210829074457/https://books.google.com/books?id=nfTy6VSUDqMC&q=o%27connell+bridge&pg=PA42) from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2020. *the width between parapets [is] 152 ft 8 in [approx 47m]*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Droichead Uí Chonaill / O'Connell Bridge"](http://www.logainm.ie/en/1167150). *Placenames Commission Database*. Logainm.ie. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181224235653/http://www.logainm.ie/en/1167150%20) from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-IA_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-IA_3-1) ["1880 – O'Connell Bridge, Dublin"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160310141813/http://two.archiseek.com/2010/1880-oconnell-bridge-dublin/). *Architecture of Dublin City*. Archiseek.com. 2010. Archived from [the original](http://archiseek.com/2010/1880-oconnell-bridge-dublin/) on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2010.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-PH_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-PH_4-1) [Project history of Dublin's River Liffey bridges](https://web.archive.org/web/20170812060126/http://www.berthamilton.com/13329.pdf) (PDF). *Bridge Engineering 156 Issue BE4* (Report). Phillips & Hamilton. Archived from [the original](http://www.berthamilton.com/13329.pdf) (PDF) on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2005.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [O'Connell Bridge](https://structurae.net/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=20005736) at *[Structurae](/source/Structurae)*. Retrieved 9 December 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Shop.osi.ie mapviewer"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100529055024/http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,715880,734436,8). Ordnance Survey Ireland. Archived from [the original](http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,715880,734436,8) on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["O'Connell Bridge - Overview"](http://www.bridgesofdublin.ie/bridges/oconnell-bridge). *Bridges of Dublin*. Dublin City Council. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200806214312/http://www.bridgesofdublin.ie/bridges/oconnell-bridge) from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["The Father Pat Noise 'Memorial'"](http://www.blather.net/shitegeist/2006/05/father_pat_noise.htm). Blather.net. 16 May 2006. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20060522192840/http://www.blather.net/shitegeist/2006/05/father_pat_noise.htm) from the original on 22 May 2006. Retrieved 16 May 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Dubliners could get their big bronze 'time ball' back"](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/dubliners-could-get-their-big-bronze-time-ball-back-1.3243035). *theirishtimes.com*. Irish Times. 4 October 2017. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20191226083223/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/dubliners-could-get-their-big-bronze-time-ball-back-1.3243035) from the original on 26 December 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-GuardAug_11-0)** ["Arthur Fields: the man on O'Connell bridge"](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/aug/18/arthur-fields-man-oconnell-bridge-photographs). *The Guardian*. 18 August 2013. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304234303/http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/aug/18/arthur-fields-man-oconnell-bridge-photographs) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Man on Bridge – Photos on the bridge from 1930s–1980s"](http://www.manonbridge.ie). *ManOnBridge.ie*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201204170808/http://www.manonbridge.ie/) from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2016.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [O'Connell Bridge](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:O%27Connell_Bridge).

v t e Bridges in Dublin over the Liffey (west to east) Lucan West-Link Farmleigh (disused) Anna Livia Islandbridge Liffey Railway Bridge Seán Heuston Frank Sherwin Rory O'More James Joyce Mellows Father Mathew O'Donovan Rossa Grattan Millennium Ha'penny O'Connell Rosie Hackett Butt Loopline Talbot Memorial Seán O'Casey Samuel Beckett East-Link (Tom Clarke Bridge)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [O'Connell Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O'Connell_Bridge) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O'Connell_Bridge?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.