Animating the Liffey: Launching Dublin’s Quayside Project

Yesterday, I had the great honour of launching the Quayside Project on the banks of the River Liffey — a project that speaks not only to our past as a Port city, but also to our future as an active, vibrant, and inclusive capital.

The Liffey has shaped Dublin for more than a thousand years. It has been our working river, our trading river, and our link to the wider world. For generations, it has been the lifeblood of our city, our place, our Dublin.

Yet for too long, the river was something Dubliners looked at, rather than lived with. My belief is clear: Dublin must do more to animate the Liffey — to ensure more people can engage with it, interact with it, and enjoy it every day.

That is exactly what the Quayside Project sets out to achieve.

What the Project Delivers

• A new Docklands Office, strengthening Dublin City Council’s civic presence in the Docklands.
• A state-of-the-art Water Sports Centre, where people of all ages and abilities can discover rowing, kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, and much more.
• A revitalised boardwalk, supported by the National Transport Authority through the BusConnects Route 16 investment, opening up the quays as a living civic space.
• Extended pontoons, providing safer and easier access to the river — not only for recreation, but also for vital emergency services such as Dublin Fire Brigade’s Water Rescue team and the Irish Underwater Search and Recovery Unit.

These are not just facilities. They are part of a bigger vision: a Dublin where the Liffey is once again at the centre of daily life.

Connecting to My Mayoral Priorities

This project directly reflects the three priorities I have set out as Lord Mayor:

• An Active City: The Water Sports Centre will encourage healthier lifestyles and give Dubliners new opportunities to get active right in the heart of the city.
• A Living City: The regenerated quayside creates a civic space that is vibrant, welcoming, and accessible to all.
• An Engaged City: By animating the river, we create a stage for community life — from festivals and cultural events to schools and sports programmes.

A City Rooted in Its River

The Quayside Project is about much more than buildings and infrastructure. It is about reconnecting Dubliners with their river. From morning walkers on the boardwalk, to young people trying water sports for the first time, to families enjoying festivals, the Liffey will once again be a place of gathering, pride, and joy.

This is a project that reflects Dublin’s values: openness, inclusivity, sustainability, and community. It is also a model of how we can reimagine urban spaces — rooted in our history, yet ambitious for the future.

A Shared Achievement

I want to thank the design and construction teams, Dublin City Council staff, community partners, and above all the people of Dublin for supporting this vision.

The River Liffey has always been at the heart of our city. With the Quayside Project, it becomes part of our everyday lives — our doorstep, our playground, our civic stage.

Together, let us continue to animate the Liffey and make it a source of pride for generations to come.