A €2 million cruise service on the River Liffey in Dublin opened for business yesterday. Run by Liffey Voyage, the service will operate six times a day from approximately 10am depending on tides, from Bachelors Walk to The Point and back, exploring historical sights and landmarks along the river.
Some €1 million was spent on moorings and infrastructure for the service and the 48-seater shallow-draft boat, made in Sweden, cost €1 million.
The cruise, on board the Spirit of Docklands boat, was an initiative by the Dublin Docklands Authority (DDA) as part of its Liffey regeneration project.
The sun came out yesterday for the first 45-minute public cruise, captained by Micheál Ó Cionna, managing director of Liffey Voyage. Visitors, who paid €11 for adults and €9 for children, embarked from a landing station at Bachelors Walk, sitting inside the vessel. The boat travels low in the water and for safety reasons cannot have outdoor seating.
Paul Maloney, chief executive of the DDA said: "Most European cities have a river taxi or tourist service. Some of our finest Georgian buildings are along the Liffey and it makes sense to be able to see them from the water."
He added that the cruise would eventually run at night, with a one-way service for concert-goers to the Point.
"We couldn't have done this 10 years ago, due to the smell of the river and certain things floating in it, but since the introduction of the water treatment plant, the cleanliness of the river has made it possible," he said.
Yesterday's tour began with a cruise up river and under the Halfpenny Bridge as pedestrians watched it slip beneath them.
Tour guide Gerry Kelly delivered snippets about the city from a script by Dublin historian Pat Liddy, before the boat turned at the Millennium Bridge and cruised toward the capital's main artery.
The vessel was a tight fit at O'Connell Bridge and took longer to travel under than expected. According to Mr Kelly it is one of the few bridges in the world that is wider than it is long. Tickets for the tour will be available from a booth on Bachelors Walk.
