The Liffey,city centre

dubtom

I've had the impression for years that the Liffey, city centre Liffey I mean, is rank. The woeful smell in high summer (not so much yet this year strangely) looks filthy when the tide goes out, I don't think I've ever seen a fish in it, I remember one year after the liffey swim the Fire Brigade were hosing down contestants when they finished. :eek:

I've been wondering the last week or so of good weather what the lads who have been swimming daily from Beckette bridge have being bringing home with them, it can't be that bad if they have survived so far, and only yesterday I saw a seal bobbing about down by rogersons quay, and then today a Herron fishing. So perhaps it's not the sewer I thought it was.

Anyone know for sure what condition cleanliness wise it is in. I have no intention of swimming in it, tbh it would just be a pleasant surprise to learn it is infact clean and healthy. Actually, I'd be thrilled to learn it was, it's always been a bit of an embarrassment to me, you know, a City that can't even keep it's river clean, what hope does it have.

Diairist

nobody (that I saw) ever publicised if they dumped tons of chemicals inot the Liffey to clean it or did they actaully clean it - dredge it etc?

the boardwalk is the best idea in years (give or take a LUAS - with lines that link up, like)

Piste

The boardwalk if full of Junkies, most normal people are scared to walk it!

Piste

Piste wrote: »

The boardwalk if full of Junkies, most normal people are scared to walk it!

I still haven't walked on the boardwalk even though I have lived in the city centre for the last 3 years

anto86

there like vulchers along them board walks waiting for an easy target to pick on ya'd wanna have a big set a balls to walk down them at certain times a the day full a dirt bags ya cant even sit and enjoy a sandwich or read the paper in peace without been bugged for something

Degsy

From what i understand the liffey is far cleaner now than it ever was.
The problem for years was that industries were dumping effluent into the river(especially a paper mills upstream) and this was reacting with the light to cause bacterial blooms in the water which left behind stinking mud when the tide retreated.
Added to this a certain amount of sewage being discharged directly into the river and you had a recipie for a stench that was legendary.
Anyway,the liffey is no longer used as a sewer and so the water is clean,and the water quality in Dublin bay has greatly improved with the new sewage treatment plant so the tide shouldnt stink either!

JuliusCaesar

A bit off-topic, but here's some info on the Liffey Swim.

one2one

anto86 wrote: »

there like vulchers along them board walks waiting for an easy target to pick on ya'd wanna have a big set a balls to walk down them at certain times a the day full a dirt bags ya cant even sit and enjoy a sandwich or read the paper in peace without been bugged for something

Have walked down it a few times, usually ok if you give the scum a quick 'alri' when walking past. They think you know them haha.

Jay D

There are fish in there and although I am not fully sure of the grade of cleanliness it has, you obviously have not seen any other rivers in Europe if that's such a shock to you.

boardwalk? Yeah like anywhere it has its bad element but get over it ffs. Do some people on here actually have a life? Or do they sit at home constantly on the internet bashing "scummmmmmbaaaaags"? It's not as busy and popular as it is for nothing.

Kevski

That's always been the case with the liffey swim. They get a decontamination shower now.

artanevilla

Diairist wrote: »

the boardwalk is the best idea in years (give or take a LUAS - with lines that link up, like)

Best idea maybe, but a spectacular failure.

nachoman

artanevilla wrote: »

Best idea maybe, but a spectacular failure.

I concur -scummmmmmbaaaaags!

ian_m

Take a trip to Lucan and see its looks much cleaner.

The Fool

Kevski wrote: »

That's always been the case with the liffey swim. They get a decontamination shower now.

That's to prevent weil's disease (from rats piss) amongst other things

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Liffey_Swim

donaghs

Jay D wrote: »

boardwalk? Yeah like anywhere it has its bad element but get over it ffs. Do some people on here actually have a life? Or do they sit at home constantly on the internet bashing "scummmmmmbaaaaags"? It's not as busy and popular as it is for nothing.

"like anywhere it has its bad element". Always find those sort of comments amusing. The boardwalk clearly has a junkie problem - anyone who looks can see it. Same as anywhere? Last time I looked out the window of my office or my house I dont recall seeing junkies sitting around on the path outside.

Being a Dubliner I know to look out for them, and can still enjoy the boardwalk. Visitors to Dublin however may not be so clued-in.

artanevilla

nachoman wrote: »

I concur -scummmmmmbaaaaags!

What we need is Barry Scott and some Cillit Bang on the boardwalk. Bang and the dirt is gone!

diceyreilly

It is full of junkies. But they never really say anything (to me anyway) wouldn't stop me from walking down it..

If they say anything just tell em to pi$$ off..

humberklog

Loads of wildlife on the Liffey. I lived up on Islandbridge for years and just from the SCR down to O'Connell bridge you'll see Otters at Guinness's Kingfisher birds from Guinness up to Islandbridge, I've seen a one-eyed seal regularly swim up to the weir at Trinity boat club and climb the weir and plop himself into the stretch of water that runs along The War Memorial park. Herons (loads of), leaping salmon (not too many). A whole load of different hunting birds too but I wouldn't know the name of them.

The Liffey's far cleaner now than it has ever been since the industrial revolution.

mikemac

There is a walkway between Chapelizod and the War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge.
You'll see herons (so there must be fish), ducks, swans and all sorts of wildlife.
The river seems very clean in that area.

Though it does look terrible at low tide near Heuston. All sorts of rubbish like traffic cones in it.
Belfast was once much the same and the river smelled at low tide so they built a weir. I've often wondered why don't built a weir around the IFSC area. Maybe there is no need but it'd be easily done

artanevilla

feelingstressed wrote: »

There is a walkway between Chapelizod and the War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge.
You'll see herons (so there must be fish), ducks, swans and all sorts of wildlife.
The river seems very clean in that area.

Though it does look terrible at low tide near Heuston. All sorts of rubbish like traffic cones in it.
Belfast was once much the same and the river smelled at low tide so they built a weir. I've often wondered why don't built a weir around the IFSC area. Maybe there is no need but it'd be easily done

I wouldn't say a weir would work in a tidal river.

humberklog

artanevilla wrote: »

I wouldn't say a weir would work in a tidal river.

It's tidal up beyond Trinity boat house and it works fine there.

Funny thing is I remember Makikomi started a thread about this idea about a year or two ago. I can't remember how it panned out with regards vesability but as an idea I like it.

mikemac

The Lagan is tidal too and they built a weir in Belfast, it's very impressive to look at.
And at 14 million pounds, it wasn't an outrageously expensive project either.
To me anyway, it would address a lot of issues that the Lagan and the Liffey share, mainly the issues caused at low tide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagan_Weir

Coriolanus

donaghs wrote: »

Being a Dubliner I know to look out for them, and can still enjoy the boardwalk. Visitors to Dublin however may not be so clued-in.

This, I swear some tourists must think they're lost on the set of New Jack City.

arybvtcw0eolkf

humberklog wrote: »

It's tidal up beyond Trinity boat house and it works fine there.

Funny thing is I remember Makikomi started a thread about this idea about a year or two ago. I can't remember how it panned out with regards vesability but as an idea I like it.

I started a a thread about a weir on the Liffey?.

mikemac

I think it was me who started that thread.

My username was kinda similar to yours, had over 7,000 posts too and was always posting in Dublin city forum
But lost it when boards got hacked and I couldn't answer the verification questions or had the old email address, we never did find a solution

account lost forever I think

errlloyd

I'm a tourguide and walk the boardwalk everyday with a tour group. The amount of abuse and heckling I get is unreal, and between the Millenium Bridge and O Connell isn't even that bad.

Great idea though, put one on the South bank too.

Liffey looks great when the tide is in, awful when the tide is out.

John Mason

i have never had any problems on the boardwalk

i used to live in an apartment on the city centre, which didnt have an balcony or a garden, when the weather was good, i would bring my book down to the boardwalk and sit all day reading or looking at life going bye - its really nice.


actually, last thursday, i was waiting in town for himself, so i went and got a coffee and and sat on the boardwalk for an hour waiting for him - no bother no problems

dubliners are strange people, you all see scumbags and danger everywhere - i dont get it.

dublin is a great safe city and there are these amenities that arent used because of some stranger danger issues - its all very strange to me

irlirishkev

^^^^^^^
What Irishbird said.

I often sit on the boardwalk in the sun, read my book and relax for a few hours.
I see scummers and junkies around the place, but I choose not to sit beside them, and (touch wood) have never been hassled by any.

I'm shocked to hear people say things like "I still haven't walked on the boardwalk even though I have lived in the city centre for the last 3 years".. Do you also cross the street if you see a junkie walking towards you?

Sorry to stray off topic, but as Peter Griffin would say, it "grinds my gears"

humberklog

Thanks feelingstressed for clearing that and exsqueeze me Mak for the mix up.


Completely with Irishbird here on the boardwalk. I stroll it regularly and have very seldom seen any scumbaggery carry on on it. When I read about peoples attitude to it I do wonder if it is based on their own witness or is it crap they've been fed from the Herald or worse.