Dublin's Docklands

A Cultural and Historical Treasure Trove

There was a time when a continuous cacophony reigned over Dublin’s famous Docklands. Back then, the port area was dominated by massive maritime industries. But change has been in the air for a long time. The ships still come into Dublin in large numbers, and trucks roll off and on with staggering precision. But the wider Docklands area, which straddles both banks of the River Liffey, has been transformed into a vibrant business and tech hub.

The Docklands have also become a thriving cultural centre. North Wall Quay has long been home to the 3Arena (formerly the Point Depot), a state-of-the-art concert venue that has proudly stood Liffeyside for over 30 years. In that time, it has hosted an array of legendary performers, from Frank Sinatra to Nirvana, Elton John and U2.

Closer to the city, Custom House Quay is home to one of the top-rated visitor attractions in Dublin. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is an interactive showcase of how the Irish diaspora made such a big impact on the world, with adventure, adversity and triumph featured in hi-tech galleries.

An absolutely fascinating and engrossing experience, EPIC provides an incredible insight into Ireland’s cultural heritage and the remarkable influence its citizens have exerted around the world. With loads to see, hear, touch and read, the interactive EPIC exhibition offers an unforgettable look at the unique achievements of Ireland and its people.

It’s just one of the many gems in an area that continues to grow in popularity. Indeed, the docklands are filled with an exciting range of activities and attractions just waiting to be explored.

CELEBRATING DUBLIN’S
MARITIME HISTORY

The iconic Diving Bell was the first project in Dublin Port’s ambitious plan to create a ‘Distributed Museum’ of attractions, with the aim of preserving the port’s industrial heritage and history. Visitors will soon – from January 2023 – be able to explore the area in a new and improved way, using the Dublin Discovery Trails app.

In 2015, The Diving Bell was raised onto a two-metre platform, allowing public access to a water feature which has been installed beneath the structure, accompanied by a series of interpretive panels explaining the historical, social and engineering significance of the Diving Bell, and immortalising its creator and the brave men who toiled inside.

At the Port Centre, on Alexandria Rd., close to the 3Arena, a ’60s quayside crane has been restored to its former glory, with an illuminated cabin for powerful night-time impact. It makes a striking addition to the city’s skyline. Standing in the shadow of Crane 292 is the Port Centre’s Maritime Garden, which is open to the public.

A short walk East from EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum takes you to the Samuel Beckett Bridge. Turn left there, walk the length of Guild Street and just beyond Spencer Dock, close to the junction with Sheriff Street Upper, you’ll find the striking statue of the great Irish folk singer Luke Kelly of The Dubliners.

Created by sculptor Vera Klute, it is a marvellously impressive, larger-than-life head, adorned by Luke’s famous hair.

For a totally unique way of exploring the area, take a ride on the Old Liffey Ferry. First granted a charter in 1665 by King Charles II, the ferry was discontinued in 1984 following the opening of the East Link toll-bridge. The water-taxi has now been fully restored through a joint project between the Irish Nautical Trust, Dublin Port and Dublin City Council. The three-minute journey point to point costs €2, with both Leap Card and cash fares accepted on board. (oldliffeyferry.com)

CONSTANTLY GETTING SMARTER

Besides boasting many historic gems, the port area stands out for its forward-thinking spirit. As the runner-up in the prestigious European Capital of Innovation awards in 2021, the Smart Docklands district has clearly established itself as a model of innovation. From drones to digital twins and connected lifebuoys, Dublin has a range of cutting-edge technology projects underway. (smartdocklands.ie)

For instance, the Smart Docklands
programme – an initiative of Dublin City Council and the Connect Research Centre at Trinity College Dublin – has deployed one of the world’s first neutral host small-cell and 5G networks to explore how we can build next generation mobile networks, as well as developed a telecoms unit to support future connectivity investments across Dublin.

It has also attracted Google AirView to Dublin, which uses Google’s Street View car in order to measure the city’s air quality street-by-street, and build hyper local air quality mapping for the first time in Ireland.

The Academy of the Near Future accelerates sustainable and inclusive smart city development by upskilling and educating people through workshops and training materials. It has been rolled out to 1,000 students across Ireland, as well as a number of schools and community groups across the Docklands.
(nearfuture.ie)

In addition, the community-powered Dublin Cycle Buddy app allows cyclists to find safe, bike-friendly routes, and the Dublin Discovery Trails app, which launches in January 2023, highlights the area’s industrial history with a number of walking routes and trailblazing Augmented Reality (AR) technology.

DUBLIN DISCOVERY TRAILS APP

This free, state-of-the-art app brings history to life through AR technology from January 2023. In Dublin, every street tells a story. That’s why, over the coming months, several exciting routes will be added to the Dublin Discovery Trails app, the first of which is ‘Doors Into Docklands’.

What better way to explore the City’s Docklands area, find out more about Dublin’s maritime history, visit famous landmarks and heritage sites, and uncover hidden wonders? Featuring AR portals that transport you back in time; animations of impressive feats of engineering; AR characters that are based on real historical Dubliners; image and text information at each point of interest along the trail; and much more, the app has something for everyone.

Once downloaded, there is no need for a live data connection, and you are free to explore one of three engaging routes along the North and South Campshires: the main route (3.75km), an extended route (4.75km) and an accessible extended route (5km).

EPIC THE IRISH
EMIGRATION MUSEUM

EPIC, a fully digital museum covering the history of the Irish diaspora, was crowned Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction three years in a row in 2019, 2020 and 2021. We head to the Docklands to discover just why the state-of-the-art museum stands out.

Tucked away in the vaults beneath Dublin’s bustling Docklands is one of Europe’s most acclaimed, innovative museums. Beating out the likes of the Acropolis, Buckingham Palace and the Colosseum, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum has become the first visitor attraction to be named Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction three years in a row at the prestigious World Travel Awards.

Since opening its doors in 2016, EPIC has already wowed hundreds of thousands of local and international guests, including the likes of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Through creative technology and immersive displays, EPIC has designed an experience that allows us to trace the journey of the Irish diaspora, and to explore the far-reaching impact the 10 million emigrants, who left our small nation, have had on the wider world.

Armed with an EPIC passport, to be stamped at each stop along the journey, we travel down into the historic vaults, to explore the story of Irish emigration through a series of themed galleries. Our first port of call is an exploration of how Irish people have left their homeland through the ages, from travels on currachs to Boeing 737s.

Instantly captivated by immersive projections and sound effects, as well as some seriously Instagram-worthy displays, we set to work, using interactive touch-screens to trace the journeys of real-life emigrants throughout history.

While the technology and installations are take-your-breath-away excellent, particularly in the stunning scientific discovery room, the moving tale of Irish emigration remains at the centre of the experience throughout. With projections of Barack Obama’s inspiring speech on College Green in 2011, and archival footage of passengers bidding loved-ones a last goodbye before boarding the boat to England, EPIC pushes human stories and emotions to the fore.

The expansive music and dance section is a particular favourite, covering Irish connections to everything from country music to Rihanna. Unsung heroes also take centre stage, as we learn about Irish-born Chicago police chief, Francis O’Neill, who saved hundreds of years of traditional Irish music with his transcribed collections in the early 20th century.

EPIC is a brilliantly unique account of the Irish emigrant experience. Only a 10-minute walk from the city centre, and a few feet from the Luas Red Line’s George’s Dock stop, we reckon that a day out at EPIC should be on everybody’s bucket list – tourists and Irish people alike.

• EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, located inside the CHQ Building on Custom House Quay, is open seven days a week from 10am to 6:45pm.

epicchq.com | Tel: (01) 906 0861

THE JEANIE JOHNSTON

The Jeanie Johnston is an authentic replica of the type of ship that carried Irish emigrants across the Atlantic to the New World. The original vessel made 16 journeys to America between 1847 and 1855, carrying over 2,500 people with no loss of life. Located on Custom House Quay, two minutes from EPIC, the stunning rigging of the tall-ship has become a landmark along Dublin’s quays. The 50-minute tour reveals what conditions were like during the journey, how long it took, and what awaited emigrants. (jeaniejohnston.ie)

FAMINE MEMORIAL

‘Famine’ was commissioned by Norma Smurfit and designed and crafted by sculptor Rowan Gillespie in 1997. The sculpture is dedicated to Irish people forced to emigrate during the 19th century Irish Famine. The location is historically significant, as it was from Custom House Quay that the vessel ‘Perseverance’ embarked on one of the first voyages of the famine period. The steerage fare was £3. 210 passengers made the journey, landing safely in New York on 18th May 1846.

CLAYTON CARDIFF LANE

Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2

Tel: (01) 643 9500

claytonhotelcardifflane.com

Located a stone’s throw from the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and Dublin’s Docklands, the four-star Clayton Cardiff Lane is an ideal spot to plan a Dublin city break around – with many of the city’s top social and cultural attractions easily accessible by foot or by public transport.

Inside, you’ll find the lauded leisure centre, Club Vitae, home to beauty treatment rooms, a 22-metre swimming pool – one of the largest swimming pools in the city – as well as a separate children’s pool. The luxurious hotel also boasts contemporary rooms and delicious dining, including their gorgeous Stir Restaurant, featuring fresh, locally-sourced ingredients; the Vertigo Bar; and their famous Vitality Breakfast. Whether you’re looking for an action-packed family trip, or a romantic night away, the Clayton Cardiff Lane has everything you need to explore the surrounding city.

NORTH INNER CITY FOLKLORE PROJECT

For a fascinating insight into Dublin’s dockside and tenement history, the North Inner City Folklore Project is an invaluable resource. An engrossing collection of artefacts, photographs and recordings of the lives of ordinary Dublin people, the project is the passionate undertaking of local Terry Fagan.

Terry is a fountain of fascinating knowledge about the area’s history and, if you give him the chance, he’ll spin stories that truly beggar belief. The Irish national anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann, nearly met a fiery end at the hands of its composer, Patrick Heeney – saved only by the quick reflexes of its lyricist Peadar Kearney – metres from where the project is based.

Terry will also regale you with tales of the notorious Monto, once the biggest red light district in Europe, and the (alleged) site of some eyebrow-raising tales involving both the King of England, and our own WB Yeats. The area was also surprisingly important to the revolution in Ireland, serving as a network for gathering and disseminating information for Michael Collins and others.

In addition to the Visitor Centre, Terry also runs the Red Lights & Revolution walking tour of the Monto area, which includes stories of the ladies who worked there, the Great Lockout of 1913 and the 1916 Easter Rising. It costs €10 and lasts two hours which, in the company of Terry Fagan, is money very well spent.
(folkloreproject.ie)