The River Liffey (An Life)

The river that flows through the heart of Dublin, spanned by the city's famous bridges.

The River Liffey (An Life) rises in the Wicklow Mountains and winds some 125 km before flowing through the centre of Dublin and out into Dublin Bay. It has shaped the capital for over a thousand years, ever since the Vikings founded their settlement where the river met the sea.

Its many bridges, including the elegant Ha'penny Bridge, are Dublin landmarks, and the river is celebrated in song and story.

At a glance

• Flows through the centre of Dublin into Dublin Bay.
• Rises in the Wicklow Mountains, about 125 km away.
• Crossed by famous bridges such as the Ha'penny Bridge.

In County Dublin

The River Liffey is in County Dublin, Baile Átha Cliath in Irish, which means “town of the hurdled ford (“Dublin” is from Dubh Linn, “black pool”)”.

More in Dublin

• Howth Head (Binn Éadair): A rugged peninsula and fishing village guarding the north of Dublin Bay.
• Phoenix Park (Páirc an Fhionnuisce): One of the largest enclosed city parks in Europe, home to a wild deer herd.
• Dublin Castle (Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath): For 700 years the seat of British rule, now a ceremonial heart of the State.

Other places of this kind

• River Shannon (An tSionainn): The longest river in Ireland, flowing generally southward.
• The River Barrow (An Bhearú): One of the Three Sisters, winding through Carlow's fertile valley.
• The River Lee (An Laoi): The river that splits to cradle Cork city on an island.
• The River Nore (An Fheoir): One of the Three Sisters, flowing through the medieval city of Kilkenny.

The Irish name

The Irish form of The River Liffey is An Life. You can hear it spoken, and take apart names like it, in the Placename Explorer. The authoritative record for any Irish place-name is logainm.ie.