The Tom Clarke Bridge (), formerly and commonly known as the East-Link Toll Bridge, is a toll bridge in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, on the

River Liffey The River Liffey (Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River ...

, owned and operated by

Dublin City Council Dublin City Council ( ga, Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the authority responsible for local government in the city of Dublin in Ireland. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. Until 2001, the council wa ...

. The bascule-type lifting bridge, which links North Wall to

Ringsend Ringsend () is a Southside (Dublin), southside inner suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the south bank of the River Liffey and east of the River Dodder, about two kilometres east of the city centre. It is the sou ...

, is the last bridge on the Liffey, which opens out into

Dublin Port Dublin Port ( ga, Calafort Átha Cliath) is the seaport of Dublin, Ireland, of both historical and contemporary economic importance. Approximatively two-thirds of Ireland's port traffic travels via the port, which is by far the busiest on the ...

and then

Dublin Bay Dublin Bay ( ga, Cuan Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland. The bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north–south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Du ...

just beyond. The bridge forms part of the R131 regional road.

Background and use

The bridge is the most easterly crossing on the Liffey, and replaced a number of ferries that carried cross-river traffic at the point as early as 1655. The bridge was built by NTR, and opened to vehicular traffic in October 1984. The bridge reverted to city council control on 31 December 2015. The city centre is west of the bridge, which links routes on the eastern side of Dublin city. The

Dublin Port Tunnel The Dublin Tunnel (Irish: ''Tollán Bhaile Átha Cliath''), originally and still commonly known as the Port Tunnel, is a road traffic tunnel in Dublin, Ireland, that forms part of the M50 motorway. The twin tunnels form a two-lane dual carria ...

terminates north of the East-Link along

East Wall Road East Wall Road () runs from the junction of the East-Link drawbridge and North Wall Quay, along the side of the northern part of Dublin port to the junction of the North Strand Road and Poplar Row. History East Wall Road takes its name from ...

, in the Docklands on the north bank of the Liffey. Most of Dublin's docklands are east of the bridge, but it is raised on average three times per day to allow river traffic to pass. As of 2016, between 14,000 and 17,000 vehicles per day cross the bridge. As of 2016, lorries and cars pay, either in cash or using electronic tokens, and cycles and motorbikes cross for free. The tolling area and administrative offices are on the south (Ringsend) side of the bridge.

Name

Naming and Commissioning-LÉ Samuel Becket (14240650023)

Originally adopting a functional name, the East-Link bridge was officially renamed as Thomas Clarke Bridge by President

Michael D. Higgins Michael Daniel Higgins ( ga, Mícheál Dónal Ó hUigínn; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, and broadcaster, who has served as the ninth president of Ireland since November 2011. Entering national politics throug ...

to commemorate the Irish republican Thomas Clarke. The renaming ceremony was on 3 May 2016, marking the centenary of the day Clarke was shot in

Kilmainham Gaol Kilmainham Gaol ( ga, Príosún Chill Mhaighneann) is a former prison in Kilmainham, Dublin, Ireland. It is now a museum run by the Office of Public Works, an agency of the Government of Ireland. Many Irish revolutionaries, including the leade ...

for his involvement in the

1916 Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...

Incidents

In October 1985, a ship named the MV Miranda Guinness, with a cargo of

Guinness beer Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...

bound for

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, collided with the bridge.

References

{{Dublin Liffey Bridges Bridges in Dublin (city) Bridges completed in 1984 1984 establishments in Ireland Toll bridges in the Republic of Ireland Bascule bridges Dublin Docklands Ringsend

Background and use

Name

Incidents

See also

References