A City Runs Through Them

Dublin and its Twenty River Bridges Fergal Tobin

An original and fascinating history of Dublin that tells the story of the city through its bridges.

Dublin’s twenty bridges cross the tidal section of the River Liffey flowing through its centre; they were built over a span of a thousand years. Each has made a contribution to the city’s development over time, so much so that it is possible to piece together its history by tracing their construction in chronological order.

Starting with Church Street Bridge, Dublin’s first, which dates back to the Vikings, and ending with the Rosie Hackett Bridge, erected in 2014, Fergal Tobin charts the rise of Ireland’s capital city as never before and reveals how it has been truly made by its bridges.

Praise for The Irish Difference:

‘Witty, thought-provoking, wide-ranging and highly readable.’ Irish Times

‘The beauty of this book is in the telling: The Irish Difference lays out its themes and chronologies with impeccable clarity, and is full of fascinating detail... Exemplary.’ Irish Independent

Fergal Tobin is a freelance writer and historian. Now retired, his career was in publishing and he was president of the Federation of European Publishers in Brussels from 2010 to 2012. His previous book, The Irish Difference, was chosen as a Book of the Year by the Irish Times.