The Ha'penny Bridge, Dublin

The Ha'penny Bridge was built in 1816 between Capel Street and O'Connell Street, to replace the poor ferry service across the river Liffey.

It has a total length of 43 metres and it is 3.66 metres wide.

The bridge's name, The Ha'penny (or Halfpenny) Bridge refers to the toll charged to users of the bridge when it was built initially. The toll was increased to one and a half pence before it was finally dropped in 1919.

The Bridge was designed by John Windsor and cost £3,894.7s.11½d. it was manufactured in Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, UK. It is one of the oldest cast-iron bridges in the world.

It was originally named Wellington Bridge, after the Dublin born duke who had trounced Napoleon. iIt's official name was changed to, and is still, the Liffey Bridge (Droichead na Life in Irish), but it is still always referred to as the Ha'penny Bridge.

The bridge was the only pedestrian bridge on the Liffey until the new Millenium bridge opened in 2000.

In 2001 there were 27,000 people crossing the bridge on a daily basis so the bridge was closed for structural repair and renovations. It was reopened 2003. The work was executed by Harland and Wolff, who built the Titanic.

Opening Times

The bridge is permanently open.