Sam Beckett Bridge
Dec 10th, 2009 by Jim Kennedy
Although it has been in situ for a few months now, the Sam Beckett Bridge was officially opened today. According to the spokesman on the telly, it will allow access for southsiders heading to the new conference center on the north quays and equally allow access for the northsiders heading to the new opera house in Grand Canal Basin. Read into that what you will, social anthropology types…
I was cycling by and got some photos, hence the post.
When maritime traffic needs access up the river, the bridge will rotate over to, you guessed it, the southside:
The opening of the bridge begins with the, eh, closing of the gap, if you see what I mean:
According to the blurb: “Designed by world-famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the bridge takes the shape of the Irish harp with cable-stay ’strings’.”
According to the punters: “Looks class.”
I gather that poet Seamus Heaney and Beckett actor Barry McGovern had more eloquent words to impart, but since the ceremony was over on the south quays, we on the northside didn’t hear them, shivering as we were behind the chainlink fence. Bloody southsiders, coming over here stealing our Lord Mayor for their fancy schmancy ceremonies, and not even sharing the sambos after.
The bridge about to close the gap, and block in the Jeannie Johnston, in the background. Mind your toes in the gap:
This guy was the first cyclist over the bridge:
Detail of the base of the ‘harp’ with cycle courier:
It’s bad news, however, for the plucky little yellow ferry plying its now redundant route across the river under the very shadow of the new bridge.
Sorry for your troubles, plucky little yellow ferry, but it’s Endgame for you…
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I was approaching the bridge from the East Link Bridge end on Thursday night and it looked fab all light up. I was planning to cross it, but a taxi presented itself and tired and ear sore I took the transport.
Great pictures - glad you took these. Thanks for putting them up too.
It will probably be passe before I get around to having another look.
Great pics and post Jim - but you neglect to indicate to us what sort of opportunities it affords to knacker-drinking bicycling derelicts of the Mercier and Camier variety…
Never mind hoofin’ it over to bleddy operas an’ conferences…
Donagh, let the new bridge always remind you of the time you went to see Depeche Mode…
Sean, this whole post was crying out for a series of bad Beckett references, but I restricted myself to just the one. The bridge might be a bit exposed for drinking, but I can imagine the lovable rapscallions of the inner city using the cables as a climbing rope…
There was someone on the radio, I think, with a pretty good Beckett putdown, rather than reference. It was in reference to some city notable saying it was a symbol that Dublin was ‘open for business’ to which the presenter (Dobson I think) quipped ‘I’m not sure he’d say that if he’d read any of his works’
Yeah, Beckett - cheerleader for Dublin’s newfound industriousness - naw !!!
However - he’d probably approve of the enhanced cider buzz to be had from being passed out on it when it decides to swing open…
PS Me daughter, who plays one of the bloody things, is hard pressed to see the resemblance to a harp. She’s not yet looked at it horizontal passed out on 2 litres of cider…
Lovely photos by the way.