The Bridges of Dublin City - Part 4

 We did it! We got to our 18th bridge!

And I know it is messy, but let me start at the end again!

So this is what we call the East Link Bridge. I found out yesterday that it's also called the Tom Clarke bridge. It's a tolled drawbridge. But apparently Dublin Port Authority, who operate this bridge, don't like to lift it too often. It probably causes too much disruption to traffic. And since cars and lorries have paid a toll to get on this bridge, they expect not to have to wait too long to actually cross it! I was recently lucky to be on a boat on the Liffey, and it was fascinating to watch the bridge open for us!

This is not the best rendition of the Samuel Beckett Bridge. I was running out of time and it was raining again, as you can see with the little dots on the steel cables! This bridge is actually quite beautiful, looking like a harp, a national symbol for Ireland. It was designed by the famous architect Calatrava. I knew that if I tried to capture its full shape, I would fail miserably, so I stood quite close to it, at an angle. But holding an umbrella at the same time as standing and sketching didn't work for me this time!

Definitely one I will revisit!

A pedestrian bridge, the Seán O'Casey Bridge (all our bridges seem to be named after writers or freedom-fighters!). I love the bounce you feel when you walk over it. It's a lovely design. It is also a bridge that can swing open to let boats up the river, but I laughed when I read the Wikipedia entry that said that the remote control to operate it was lost in 2009 and it couldn't open until 2014 when the control was re-programmed!!

Here I was standing on the Talbot Memorial Bridge. We call it the Matt Talbot bridge really. It's not particularly interesting-looking. But when you sketch something up close, it does become interesting. and you can see the other bridges from there too! The Famine statues are just down the road from there. And the tourists are back. I pointed a family towards the Epic emigration museum, where there was a queue!

I can't remember the name of this beautiful church, tucked away beside all the modern buildings springing all around it.

Looking towards the matt Talbot Bridge, with the Samuel Beckett bridge, the Jeanie Johnston ship, the Capital buildings, the Poolbeg chimneys, and lots of cranes. Dublin in a nutshell! And heavy traffic too of course!

Under the Loopline bridge. Isn't it such a beauty!