William Murphy

TODAY I WALKED FROM FROM MEMORIAL ROW TO MARINO MART

This subset of photographs show the area near Newcomen Bridge and as you can see there is much construction work underway.

Newcomen Bridge, located on North Strand Road in Dublin, is a single-arch bridge over the Royal Canal. The bridge was named after Sir William Gleadowe Newcomen, who was the company secretary of the canal company from 1789 to 1807. The bridge was originally built in 1793. It was reconstructed in 1873 when an adjoining bridge was built to carry traffic over the Liffey Branch of the Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) line.

The bridge underwent significant changes in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was impacted when an adjoining bridge was built to carry traffic over the Liffey Branch of the MGWR line opened in 1864 by the MGWR Company and was subsequently reconstructed in 1873. The adjoining railway bridge was replaced in the twentieth century by a reinforced concrete bridge which retained only the rock-faced abutments of the original.

Newcomen Footbridge, a single span, steel, pedestrian bridge crossing over both the Docklands Railway Line and the Royal Canal, forms a critical link in the North Strand Road Cycle Route and the Royal Canal Orbital Cycle Route. It provides separate facilities for pedestrians and more space for cyclists on the adjacent Newcomen Bridge. This footbridge is a very recent addition, constructed to enhance the safety and convenience of pedestrians and cyclists.

As part of the Royal Canal Greenway Phase 3 project, roadworks at Cross Guns Bridge in Phibsborough are nearing completion. One of the remaining tasks is to resurface the roadway on the bridge and at the junction of Phibsborough Road, Prospect Road, and Whitworth Road. The work is scheduled to be undertaken over four evenings/nights, from Monday 25th to Thursday 28th March 2024 inclusive, between 7:30pm and 4:00am the following morning.

My journey began on Amiens Street, a Dublin thoroughfare that stretches from Memorial Road to North Strand. Originally known as “The Strand” in the early 18th century, it was renamed after John Stratford, 1st Earl of Aldborough (Viscount Amiens) in 1877. The street is a hub for Connolly Station, formerly Amiens Street Station, which opened in 1844. The Italianate architecture of the Dublin and Drogheda Railway station buildings remains a striking focal point.

From there, I travelled along North Strand Road. This road extends Amiens Street northeastward from the junction of Portland Row and Seville Place. It crosses the Royal Canal at Newcomen Bridge and continues to the junction of East Wall Road and Poplar Row via Annesley Bridge over the River Tolka. At this point, it becomes Annesley Bridge Road. Interestingly, a 1921 proposal to rename North Strand to Bohernatra (Strand Road), along with Amiens Street, was never implemented despite Dublin Corporation approval.

North Strand Road was tragically struck by four Luftwaffe high-explosive bombs on the night of 31 May 1941, resulting in 34 deaths and 90 injuries. Three hundred houses suffered damage or destruction. The motive remains unclear – whether it was retaliation for Dublin Fire Brigade’s assistance in Belfast, a tactic to pressure Irish neutrality, or a navigation miscalculation. On 19 June, Nazi Germany offered apologies and compensation. On 31 May 2011, a memorial garden was re-opened to mark the 70th anniversary of this devastating event, though unfortunately, it is currently inaccessible and the memorial obscured.

Next, I crossed Annesley Bridge, spanning the River Tolka in Fairview, Dublin. It honours Richard Annesley, 6th Earl of Anglesey. The original bridge was built in 1792 and opened to the public in 1797, with a later rebuilding in 1926.

My travels proceeded along Annesley Bridge Road. This route gained residential popularity in the 19th century following the construction of the original Annesley Bridge in 1792.

The journey took me through Fairview, a Dublin suburb with roots in 14th-century farmland owned by St. Mary’s Abbey. Fairview Park, a cherished recreational space, is a defining feature. It boasts vibrant seasonal flower displays, sports fields, a large playground, a skatepark, and tree-lined paths.

Finally, I reached Marino Mart. This blend of shops, commercial spaces, and housing lies along two streets, creating a corner with an angled block. Located in Marino, it reflects Ireland’s first major suburban development as an Irish Free State. The ‘Garden City’ principles of urban planner Ebenezer Howard found tangible expression in Marino’s design.