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The River Liffey flows through Dublin, the capital city of the Republic of Ireland. It rises in the Sally Gap, near to Kippure, a mountain in County Wicklow, and flows for around 75 miles (125km) through counties Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin before entering the Irish sea in Dublin Bay.
There are three hydroelectric power stations along the river, at Poulaphouca, Golden Falls and Leixlip.
Towns along the river include Ballymore Eustace, Newbridge, Leixlip and Lucan before the river reaches the city of Dublin at its mouth. Upstream from the city, at Chapelizod, the river is used by both university and police (garda) rowing clubs. The Liffey Descent canoeing event, held each year since 1960, covers a 17 mile course from Straffan to Islandbridge.
The Liffey in Dublin
Dividing the Northside of Dublin from the Southside, the Liffey is spanned by numerous road bridges including (listed from West to East) :
The pedestrian-only Ha'penny Bridge was formerly a toll-bridge, while the East-Link bridge is a modern tolled traffic-carrying lifting bridge. The other pedestrian bridge in Dublin city centre is the Millennium footbridge.
Downstream of the final bridge (the East-Link), the river is mainly used for commercial and ferry traffic, with some recreational use also.
A well-known sight on the Liffey were the Lady Patricia and the Miranda Guinness cargo ships, used to export Guinness from the St. James' Gate brewery.
The song about Seamus Rafferty refers to the "bowsies on the quay."
Nowadays the quays are being developed with the additional of linear parks and overhanging boardwalks.
The quays of the Liffey include:
- Custom House Quay
- Bachelor's Walk
- Sir John Rogerson's Quay
- Eden Quay
- Merchant's Quay
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