The £2 million Liffey boardwalk in central Dublin was officially opened yesterday with promises that the river, once best known for its unsavoury odour, will yet be to the capital what the Seine is to Paris.
Indeed there was much talk of the 560metre boardwalk, stretching along the north quays from O'Connell Bridge to Grattan (Capel Street) Bridge, becoming, in time, something of a Parisian Left Bank.
As well as being an attractive riverside walk, it will be a viewing platform for events on the Liffey, and an area where artists can display and sell their works.
There will be benches at fixed intervals and permanent refreshment kiosks.
The boardwalk will be lit at night, and is protected on the river side by a 1.15metre balustrade which is angled inwards.
The opening was performed by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Maurice Ahern, and the Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, who is chairman of the National Millennium Committee.
It was watched by an invited gathering and curious onlookers taking a break from their Christmas shopping.
In attendance were Dublin city manager Mr John Fitzgerald and city council members Mr Tony Gregory TD, Mr Pat Carey TD, and Senator Joe Doyle.
Mr Ahern and Mr Brennan were confident that the boardwalk, coupled with the permanent illumination of 13 bridges over the river, from Sean Heuston Bridge to the Talbot Memorial Bridge, would transform central Dublin.
"As Dublin changes and expands, it is all the more vital that the very heart of the city would be a place that is visually appealing with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere that all can enjoy," said Mr Brennan.
