Liffey Walls in Dublin to Undergo Extensive Cleaning Programme

Dublin City Council is cleaning the Liffey quay walls. They are cleaning over 6km of granite walls that are on both sides of the River Liffey. The area they are cleaning spans from The Custom House to Heuston Station and they hope this will improve the riverside area’s look.

Dublin’s quay walls are from the 1700s and 1800s, built using Leinster granite and complemented by nice bridges along the river. Traffic affects the quay walls look, though, with fumes and splashes making them dirty.

Stephen Coyne talked about the cleaning, noting that some quays, like Bachelors Walk, get cleaned often. This full quay cleaning hasn’t happened in a while, and Usher’s Quay gets dirty faster due to the heavier traffic there. Last year’s test cleaning was impressive, and they want the whole length to look consistent.

The cleaning only affects the road-facing wall side and is scheduled to be finished in mid-March. Later, they’ll fix the Inns Quay balustrade, which sits in front of the Four Courts. The Four Courts, bridges, and quay form a landmark that people often miss how nice they are.

The cleaning helps improve this landmark. The OPW is fixing the Four Courts dome too, and these actions should greatly improve the area.