PHOTOGRAPHED 10 MAY 2025 USING A LEICA Q3
NEW URBAN WATER SPORTS DESTINATION ON RIVER LIFFEY [PHOTOGRAPHED 10 MAY 2025 USING A LEICA Q3]
A New Urban Watersports Destination on the River Liffey
(Photographed 10 May 2025 using a Leica Q3)
7 May 2025: General Manager Sought for New Urban Watersports Destination on River Liffey.
The Evolving Narrative of Custom House Quay: From Historic Nexus to Modern Amenity
I. Introduction: The Enduring Significance and Evolving Face of Custom House Quay
Custom House Quay, a name deeply intertwined with Dublin’s rich maritime and civic heritage, is currently witnessing the emergence of its latest significant development: the Liffey watersports hub. This facility, recently completed or nearing completion, signifies a renewed and purposeful engagement with the River Liffey, transforming it from a scenic backdrop and historical waterway into an active recreational space for the city’s residents and visitors.
Spearheaded by Dublin City Council, the development is thoughtfully designed to include new public walkways, a central courtyard, and, notably, an enhanced “gangway” providing improved access to the replica famine ship, the Jeanie Johnston. This integration demonstrates an ambition to weave contemporary recreational utility with the area’s existing cultural and heritage assets.
A critical aspect of this transformation involved the demolition of the former Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) office building that previously occupied the site. This physical change underscores a broader shift in the functional identity of this specific plot on Custom House Quay, moving from a centre of planning and development authority to a point of public access and enjoyment.
This new hub is not an isolated project but rather the latest chapter in the extensive and ongoing regeneration of the Dublin Docklands. For decades, this vast area, stretching along both banks of the Liffey, has been transforming from a landscape of declining industrial port activity into a dynamic, modern urban quarter. This metamorphosis has been propelled by a succession of state-led initiatives and evolving planning frameworks, each leaving its imprint on the Docklands’ character and trajectory.
The Liffey watersports hub thus takes its place within a complex tapestry of renewal, reflecting contemporary urban planning philosophies that prioritise public engagement with waterfronts. The very nature of the project—focused on water-based recreation—also points to an evolving understanding and utilisation of the River Liffey itself. Historically the lifeblood of Dublin’s commerce and a primary channel for transport, the river’s potential as a significant civic and recreational amenity is now being more fully embraced. While activities such as river tours have long been a feature, the establishment of a dedicated, city-backed watersports centre signals a more structured and participatory approach to aquatic leisure. This development can be interpreted as a response to a growing public desire for more direct and active engagement with the river, perhaps also informed by the mixed outcomes of previous, more ambitious water-based proposals in the vicinity, such as the debated George’s Dock white-water rafting facility.
This discussion, presented as a blog post, aims to provide a comprehensive historical narrative of the Liffey watersports hub site and its environs. It will trace the evolution of Custom House Quay from its foundational period, examine the era of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and its impact on the area, and detail the conception and realisation of the new recreational facility, thereby contextualising this modern intervention within the deep and multifaceted history of one of Dublin’s most significant urban landscapes.
II. The Historic Custom House Quay: Foundation and Early Development (c. 1700s – Early 1900s)
The story of Custom House Quay is deeply intertwined with the eastward expansion of Dublin along the River Liffey and the evolving needs of its burgeoning maritime trade. Long before James Gandon’s iconic Custom House graced the north banks, earlier customs facilities served the city. An older custom house at Wood Quay, within the city walls, was notably destroyed in the Dublin gunpowder explosion of 1597, a testament to the long-standing presence of customs operations. Subsequently, another facility was developed near Essex Gate around 1620. The immediate predecessor to Gandon’s masterpiece was the Old Custom House, constructed between 1704 and 1707 on what is now Wellington Quay. Designed by Thomas Burgh, this building marked a significant moment, being one of the first major public structures built outside Dublin’s ancient city walls, indicating growing confidence in the city’s stability and the pressing need for expanded, dedicated office and customs space due to increasing trade.
By the 1770s, however, even Burgh’s Custom House was deemed insufficient. Merchants complained of river congestion, shallow waters preventing larger vessels from reaching the quay, and the building’s inadequate size. This necessity for a new, more strategically located facility drove the decision, championed by John Beresford, First Commissioner of Revenue, to construct a grander Custom House further downriver, nearer to Dublin Bay. This eastward shift was a logical progression, reflecting the continuous efforts of land reclamation from the Liffey and the city’s relentless commercial push towards the sea to accommodate larger ships and burgeoning trade volumes that older, upriver locations could no longer efficiently manage.
The commission for this ambitious project was awarded to the English architect James Gandon. Construction began in 1781 and was completed in 1791 at a considerable cost of over £200,000, a sum equivalent to nearly €24 million in today’s currency. Gandon’s neoclassical design, reportedly inspired by the grandeur of Parisian buildings along the Seine, resulted in one of Dublin’s most celebrated architectural treasures. The building’s exterior, faced with Portland stone and mountain granite, featured a Doric portico adorned with statues by Agostino Carlini and the renowned Irish sculptor Edward Smyth. The tympanum depicted Hibernia and Britannia, while a statue of Neptune banishing famine and despair, and fourteen keystones representing the Atlantic, the Liffey, and twelve other principal Irish rivers, further embellished the facade. Crowning this edifice is a distinctive copper dome topped by a statue of Commerce. Beyond its primary function related to customs, the building also served as a vital centre for revenue administration, described by the architectural historian Christine Casey as “the single most important collection point in the Irish Revenue system”.
The physical quay upon which Gandon’s Custom House stands, Custom House Quay itself, was constructed around 1790. Built of granite ashlar, it formed a crucial segment of the newly defined north bank of the Liffey. The area rapidly developed into a bustling hub of maritime trade and commerce. Warehouses were erected behind and adjacent to the Custom House to store the vast quantities of goods offloaded from merchant vessels, and the quayside teemed with activity. The architectural grandeur of both Gandon’s Custom House and other significant structures in the vicinity underscores the immense economic importance of the port and customs revenue to Dublin and Ireland during this era. Such substantial public and private investment in infrastructure is invariably driven by powerful economic incentives and the strategic significance of the activities they support.
A prime example of this era’s industrial architecture is the CHQ Building, originally known as Stack A. Located just east of the Custom House, it was constructed circa 1820 to designs by the Scottish engineer John Rennie, primarily as a bonded warehouse for valuable commodities such as tobacco, tea, and spirits. Stack A was an industrial masterpiece, boasting what was then the largest pre-20th century clear-floor space in Dublin. Its innovative cast-iron frame supported a slate roof, enclosing a vast area within Georgian brickwork. The building gained further historical notoriety when it hosted the Crimean War Banquet in 1856, celebrating the return of 3,000 Irish soldiers. The Custom House Quay area was not, however, a static environment. Its infrastructure evolved to meet changing operational demands, exemplified by the widening of Custom House Quay in 1884, a modification that necessitated the shortening of Stack A by five metres at its southern end. This pragmatic adaptation, even at the expense of a significant existing structure, illustrates a recurring theme in the Docklands’ history: the primacy of functional needs in shaping the urban fabric.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, Custom House Quay maintained its role as a vital commercial and shipping nexus. Gandon’s Custom House, however, faced significant perils. It was severely damaged by a major fire and was later occupied and burned during the War of Independence in May 1921. Following these destructive events, the Office of Public Works (OPW) undertook extensive restoration work to preserve the iconic structure.
III. The Dublin Docklands in Transition: Mid-20th Century Decline and the Dawn of Regeneration (c. 1950s – 1990s)
The mid-20th century heralded a period of profound change and subsequent decline for the traditional activities of the Dublin Docklands. The advent of mechanisation and containerisation in shipping from the 1960s onwards rendered many traditional dockland labour practices obsolete, leading to widespread redundancies among dock workers. This economic disruption contributed to significant social problems in the area, including unemployment and associated issues. Compounding these local challenges, the broader trend of Dublin’s suburbanisation from the 1970s saw a substantial decrease in the inner-city population, which by 1991 had fallen by as much as 50% in some areas. This backdrop of economic hardship and demographic shift created the imperative for the large-scale regeneration efforts that would follow.
The initial stirrings of a planned revitalisation began to emerge in the 1980s. The Urban Renewal Act of 1986 was a pivotal piece of legislation, defining the initial designated areas for renewal, which importantly included the Custom House Docks area. Following this, the Custom House Docks Development Authority (CHDDA) was established by the state in 1987. Its specific remit was to oversee the development of an International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) within a defined section of the Docklands, broadly situated between Amiens Street, Commons Street, Sheriff Street Lower, and Custom House Quay. The CHDDA and the establishment of the IFSC can be seen as precursors to the more comprehensive and ambitious regeneration body that was to follow.
In 1997, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) was formally established through the Dublin Docklands Development Authority Act. This new authority was granted a significantly broader mandate: to lead a major project of physical, social, and economic regeneration across a substantial area of East Dublin, encompassing land along both banks of the River Liffey. The stated mission of the DDDA was ambitious, aiming to transform the Dublin Docklands into a “world-class city quarter” and a “paragon of sustainable inner city regeneration.” This vision included the provision of high standards in education, employment, housing, and social amenities for the entire community. Among its quantitative targets was the construction of over 11,000 new homes, with a commitment that 20% of these would be designated as social and affordable housing.
As part of its operational infrastructure and physical presence within the Docklands, the DDDA maintained offices. One such office was located on Custom House Quay. While specific construction dates for this particular building are not detailed in the available information, its existence and subsequent role as the “Dublin Docklands office building” even after the DDDA’s dissolution confirm its function as an administrative hub for the authority and later for Dublin City Council’s Docklands functions. Its placement on Custom House Quay, a location imbued with historical significance and central to the Docklands, would have been symbolic of the DDDA’s authority and its role in orchestrating the area’s transformation. The eventual demolition of this building to make way for the new Liffey watersports hub (as detailed in Section V) can be viewed as a symbolic marker, signifying the end of that specific era of centralised, top-down regeneration for that particular plot of land and heralding a shift towards public amenity.
During its operational years, the DDDA oversaw a number of large-scale projects, including the Spencer Dock development and the Point Village. However, the Point Village encountered significant financial difficulties and was eventually taken over by the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). Other ambitious proposals, such as the U2 Tower, were ultimately abandoned. The DDDA also became a substantial landholder in the Docklands, acquiring control over sites previously held by major developers like Treasury Holdings and Harry Crosbie.
Despite some successes in physical regeneration—the DDDA’s website once claimed the creation of 40,000 new jobs and 11,000 new homes—the authority became mired in controversy. The most damaging of these was the acquisition of the 25-acre former Irish Glass Bottle site in Ringsend. In 2006, a consortium including the DDDA paid €412 million for the site. The planned development never materialised, and by 2011, the land—which had cost €431 million including acquisition costs and stamp duty—was valued at a mere €45 million. A subsequent special report by the Comptroller and Auditor General found that the DDDA had failed to obtain an independent valuation of the site before committing to the deal, a failing that ultimately cost the authority €52 million. This and other “damning findings about the authority’s conduct” severely damaged the DDDA’s reputation and public trust. The DDDA’s active period coincided with Ireland’s “Celtic Tiger” economic boom, and some of its ventures and financial exposures reflected the speculative excesses characteristic of that era, contributing to its eventual downfall.
The Irish government announced its intention to wind up the DDDA in May 2012, following the publication of the critical Comptroller and Auditor General’s report. The Minister for the Environment at the time, Phil Hogan, stated that while the government remained committed to the continued regeneration of the Docklands, maintaining the DDDA as a standalone entity was “no longer viable, financially or otherwise”. A new board was appointed to manage a transitional period. The full dissolution, initially planned for May 2014, was postponed due to concerns regarding the disengagement of the DDDA leading up to the date, and unresolved issues related to its failure to acknowledge enterprise as a key driver of Docklands success, unclear terms of reference for a new Docklands Consultative Forum, and a lack of transparency concerning the transfer of remaining cash and assets. The Dublin Docklands Development Authority was officially dissolved on 1 March 2016, with its functions and oversight responsibilities largely transferring to Dublin City Council. This transfer marked a shift in the governance model for the Docklands, moving away from a powerful, centralised development authority towards a more integrated, municipally-led planning framework.
IV. The Post-DDDA Era: Strategic Development and New Visions (c. 2012 – Present)
Following the government’s decision to wind down the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA), a new framework for managing the continued regeneration of the Docklands was implemented. The DDDA’s powers and responsibilities were progressively transferred to Dublin City Council between 2014 and its official dissolution in March 2016. A key instrument in this new phase was the establishment of the Docklands Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) Planning Scheme. This scheme, formally approved by An Bord Pleanála in May 2014, superseded the previous planning schemes that had been generated by the DDDA.
The SDZ was designed to facilitate a more streamlined and potentially faster development process for designated areas within the Docklands, particularly focusing on the urban regeneration of areas in North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock. The scheme allowed for the construction of landmark buildings up to 22 storeys (approximately 88 metres) in specific locations, although the predominant building height was generally set around eight storeys. This provision for significant building heights indicated a continued commitment to intensive development within the Docklands. The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) emerged as a key landholder and a significant investor in this new phase, with plans to inject €2 billion into new projects across the Docklands, including on sites previously controlled by entities like Treasury Holdings and the DDDA itself. This shift from the DDDA model to the SDZ framework represented a notable change in approach, moving from a direct development authority to a more regulatory and planning-led system managed by the City Council, albeit one still geared towards substantial and often fast-tracked development.
Under the SDZ framework, development continued apace. Several major projects were completed after 2015, a prominent example being the new Central Bank of Ireland headquarters on North Wall Quay. By early 2018, a significant portion of the land within the SDZ had been designated for corporate construction, underscoring the strong commercial impetus driving the ongoing regeneration. An illustration of the scale of development envisioned was the plan reported in October 2014 by a consortium including US investment group Oaktree Capital Management, Irish construction company Bennett, and NAMA, for a mixed-use development comprising 42,500 square metres of offices and 158 apartments at 5 Hanover Quay and 76 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, with estimated construction costs of €140 million.
Alongside this commercial and residential development, proposals for new public amenities in the Docklands also came to the fore, often generating considerable public and political discourse. The most notable of these was the plan for a white-water rafting facility at George’s Dock. This Dublin City Council proposal, with an estimated cost of around €25 million, faced intense scrutiny and ultimately widespread opposition. Critics lambasted the project as a costly “luxury” at a time of a severe housing crisis in Dublin, arguing that public funds could be better allocated. The narrative that the facility would primarily cater to “business people and tourists rafting for €50 a go” rather than ordinary citizens also fuelled public discontent, despite counter-arguments that such commercial use would help subsidise access for local clubs and residents. The timing of the proposal, coinciding with broader frustrations over housing policy, created what was described as “appalling optics”. Ultimately, councillors rejected the white-water rafting plan.
Following the abandonment of the rafting facility, discussions continued regarding the future of the George’s Dock site. Proposals for a lido (an outdoor public swimming pool) gained some traction, fitting the site’s existing planning permission which zoned it for “water use”. However, this too faced debates over feasibility and operational costs, with €500,000 being set aside in the 2025-2027 capital programme to explore new ideas and intermediary uses for the site. By March 2025, the lido proposal appeared to be back under active consideration. This history of controversy and careful deliberation surrounding major recreational projects in the Docklands likely shaped the context and reception for subsequent amenity proposals, including the new Liffey watersports hub at Custom House Quay. There appears to be an underlying tension between ambitions for large-scale, “statement” projects and the demand for more community-focused, accessible, and financially prudent amenities. The continued drive for high-value corporate construction within the SDZ also creates a dynamic where public amenity projects must clearly demonstrate widespread public benefit and careful use of resources to gain approval and acceptance.
V. The New Liffey Watersports Hub: A Modern Intervention (c. 2020s)
The conception of a new water-based activity centre at Custom House Quay emerged as a distinct Dublin City Council initiative, strategically positioned on the Liffey’s north bank between the EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum (housed within the historic CHQ Building) and the Jeanie Johnston replica famine ship. This location, directly on the quayside, differentiates it from the George’s Dock proposals, which focused on repurposing an existing inland dock basin. The project for the Liffey hub appears to have evolved from earlier, broader plans. A previously granted Part 8 planning application (reference 3833/19) had encompassed a more extensive scheme that included not only a white-water rafting course at George’s Dock but also, significantly, “the demolition of former Dublin Docklands Development Authority office building” at Custom House Quay and the “Construction of two new quayside buildings… The west building comprising replacement offices and conference room for the use of Dublin City Council Docklands office”. The subsequent focus on a dedicated water-based activity centre at Custom House Quay, coupled with the abandonment of the George’s Dock rafting component, suggests a strategic decoupling and refinement of these initial plans. The Liffey Watersports Hub project, therefore, seems to be a more pragmatic and perhaps more focused successor to the controversial George’s Dock scheme, potentially learning from its predecessor’s difficulties by concentrating on a different location and a set of activities with broader public appeal.
A critical preparatory step for the new hub was the demolition of the former DDDA office building. As explicitly stated in the granted Part 8 planning application 3833/19, the removal of this structure was integral to the redevelopment of the Custom House Quay site. Planning documents associated with mooring extensions adjacent to the site referred to this structure as the “current Dublin Docklands office building”, indicating its continued use by Dublin City Council’s Docklands staff even after the formal dissolution of the DDDA. The demolition of this administrative building to make way for a public recreational facility represents a significant reallocation of prime, historically-sensitive public land, prioritising direct public benefit and enjoyment over administrative functions for this specific plot. This aligns with contemporary urban planning trends that seek to “give the waterfront back to the people.”
The design of the new Liffey watersports hub aims to create a multi-functional space. Key features include the development of new public walkways, a central courtyard, and a new “gangway” to improve access to the Jeanie Johnston. Supporting documentation for related “Dublin City Moorings Custom House Quay” enhancements, likely linked to the hub, details plans for an extended boardwalk with glass balustrading, the relocation and replacement of existing pontoons with new ones under a glazed canopy, and an additional new gangway connecting to the extended boardwalk. These elements suggest comprehensive facilities for mooring watercraft and facilitating various on-water activities, thereby enhancing public access to and engagement with the River Liffey, while also integrating with adjacent cultural attractions.
Recent reports, dated around 9 May 2025, indicated that Dublin City Councillors formally backed the new Liffey watersports hub, with a reported cost of €23 million. These reports also referred to the project as the “Liffey aquatics centre”. While an earlier Part 8 planning permission (3833/19) had been granted for a more extensive scheme that included development at Custom House Quay, the timeline for the specific approvals that allowed the current hub to reach a near-completed state by May 2025 (as per initial information) would necessarily have preceded these early May 2025 announcements. The formal backing reported in May 2025 might therefore represent a final budgetary confirmation, a political endorsement of the project as it neared completion, or pertain to its upcoming operational phase, rather than the initial green light for construction to commence.
The architectural realisation of the Liffey watersports hub carries significant responsibilities, given its sensitive location. The site lies within a designated Conservation Area, and the historic Custom House quay wall itself is a protected structure, listed on the Record of Monuments and Places. Immediately to the west stands James Gandon’s Custom House, one of Dublin’s most important architectural landmarks, and to the east is the historically significant CHQ Building. Any new development in such a context must demonstrate exceptional sensitivity to its surroundings. The planning documents mention features like an “extended Boardwalk and glass balustrading… elevated above the Quay Wall protected structure level,” and a “glazed canopy”, indicating the use of modern materials. The success of the project will therefore heavily depend on the quality of its architectural design and its ability to integrate harmoniously with the powerful historical and aesthetic presence of its neighbours, complementing rather than clashing with the established character of Custom House Quay. Architectural heritage impact assessments would have formed a crucial part of the planning process, similar to those required for other developments in comparably sensitive locations within the Docklands.
Overview of the Liffey Watersports Hub (Custom House Quay)
Location: Custom House Quay, Dublin 1 (situated between the EPIC Museum/CHQ Building and the Jeanie Johnston replica ship).
Key Features: Watersports facilities, public walkways, courtyard, new gangway to Jeanie Johnston, pontoons, glazed canopies.
Preceding Structure on Site: Former Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) / Dublin City Council Docklands office building (demolished).
Reported Cost: €23 million.
Reported Approval Date: Circa May 2025.
Key Stakeholder: Dublin City Council.
Status: Completed or near completion.
VI. Archaeological and Heritage Considerations
The Dublin Docklands, as an area shaped by centuries of maritime activity, land reclamation, and urban development, possesses considerable archaeological sensitivity. Custom House Quay and its immediate vicinity are no exception. The site of the new Liffey watersports hub is partially situated within the Zone of Archaeological Constraint for Recorded Monument DU018-020, which corresponds to the Historic City of Dublin. This designation affords statutory protection under the National Monuments Acts.
In advance of, or during the early stages of development for projects in such sensitive zones, archaeological assessment and monitoring are standard requirements. Specific to the Custom House Quay area, archaeological testing under Licence 23E0960 was conducted in April 2024 by archaeologists Paul Duffy and Chris Coffey. This investigation targeted two shoreside pile locations intended for a development project and followed a programme of archaeological monitoring immediately west of the development site. The results of this testing indicated the presence of deep deposits of modern sand, which were associated with a concrete beam running along the inner side of the quay wall. Crucially, the report from this specific investigation stated that “No finds or features of archaeological potential were identified during these works”. It is important to interpret such findings carefully: the absence of archaeological material in limited test trenches does not definitively preclude the existence of archaeological deposits elsewhere on the broader site, at different depths, or of a nature not detectable by the methods used. The “deep deposits of modern sand” could represent fill material that potentially overlies earlier, undisturbed archaeological layers. Nevertheless, for the specific areas tested, no immediate archaeological constraints were identified. This underscores the site-specific nature of archaeological potential and the ongoing necessity for vigilance and appropriate assessment during any ground-disturbing works in historically rich urban environments.
Beyond sub-surface archaeology, the built heritage of Custom House Quay and its surroundings is of paramount importance. James Gandon’s Custom House has itself been the subject of major conservation efforts, including a significant programme of restoration undertaken by the Office of Public Works in the 1980s, which was completed in 1991 to mark the building’s bicentenary. Ongoing maintenance, such as the cleaning and repair of its intricate pediment statuary, continues to be carried out by the OPW. Similarly, the CHQ Building (Stack A), another significant 19th-century structure on the quay, underwent a sympathetic and award-winning restoration by the DDDA in the early 2000s. This project notably included the installation of an innovative glass facade at its southern end, based on a concept by the renowned Irish engineer Peter Rice. Furthermore, the historic quay walls of Custom House Quay are themselves listed as protected structures and are recorded on the Record of Monuments and Places.
Any new development, such as the Liffey watersports hub, must therefore navigate a complex web of heritage protections and conservation principles. Architectural heritage impact assessments are a standard component of the planning process for projects in such locations, ensuring that new designs are sensitive to the scale, materials, and character of the historic environment. The Docklands area thus presents a continuous challenge: balancing the dynamic thrust of modern development and urban regeneration with the profound obligation to preserve, respect, and appropriately manage its significant built and archaeological heritage. The Liffey hub is the latest development to engage with this inherent tension.
VII. Conclusion: Custom House Quay – A Palimpsest of Dublin’s History
Custom House Quay stands as a remarkable palimpsest, a surface upon which successive eras of Dublin’s history have inscribed their narratives, leaving indelible marks that coexist with the innovations of the present. Its journey commenced as a vital commercial and administrative nexus in the late 18th and 19th centuries, anchored by the monumental Custom House of James Gandon and the industrious CHQ Building (Stack A), surrounded by the teeming activity of a principal port. This era of prosperity eventually gave way to a period of mid-20th-century decline, as changes in shipping technology and patterns of urban settlement reshaped the Docklands’ fortunes. The late 20th and early 21st centuries then ushered in an era of intensive, state-led regeneration, initially spearheaded by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and subsequently guided by the Strategic Development Zone framework under Dublin City Council. This ongoing process has fundamentally transformed the physical and socio-economic landscape of the Docklands, creating a new financial, residential, and cultural quarter. The history of Custom House Quay, and the wider Docklands, is thus characterised by these pronounced cycles of economic flourishing, decline, and ambitious renewal, with each phase profoundly reshaping its fabric and function.
The new Liffey watersports hub is the latest layer to be added to this rich historical tapestry. Its emergence reflects contemporary urban values that prioritise public access to waterfronts, the provision of recreational amenities, and the thoughtful integration of leisure facilities with existing cultural heritage assets like the Jeanie Johnston and the EPIC Museum. Furthermore, the development of this public-facing facility on the very site previously occupied by the offices of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority carries symbolic weight. It signifies a tangible shift, at least for this particular plot, from a phase of regeneration characterised by centralised administrative oversight to one that emphasises direct public amenity and engagement with the River Liffey. This evolution in the use of Custom House Quay—from a primary focus on trade and revenue collection, to a centre for the administrative management of regeneration, and now to a hub for public recreation—mirrors broader societal shifts in how post-industrial cities perceive, value, and utilise their urban waterfronts, moving beyond purely economic or administrative functions to embrace their potential for community life, tourism, and well-being.
Looking ahead, the Dublin Docklands will undoubtedly continue its dynamic evolution. Recent approvals for landmark structures, such as Dublin’s future tallest building on North Wall Quay (permission reported in February 2025), and the area’s increasing prominence as a venue for international events like Dublin Tech Week, signal a future of sustained growth and activity. The enduring challenge for Dublin will be to navigate this continued development by striking a careful balance: fostering economic vitality and accommodating high-density urban living while simultaneously safeguarding precious heritage, ensuring environmental sustainability, and nurturing the creation of inclusive, vibrant, and liveable communities. The Liffey watersports hub at Custom House Quay, in its design and operation, will be one more testament to the city’s capacity to meet this complex and ongoing challenge.