Attending an event at The CCD and have some time to spare? Get some steps in and take in some of the iconic landmarks within a 15-minute walk of The CCD.
1. Samuel Beckett Bridge
Distance from The CCD: 120m / 2 minute walk
Opened in December 2009, the Samuel Beckett Bridge has become a landmark structure on the Dublin Skyline. The bridge, that joins Sir John Rogerson’s Quay on the south side of the River Liffey to Guild Street and North Wall Quay, was designed by Architect Santiago Calatrava and is capable of opening through an angle of 90 degrees allowing ships to pass through. The shape of the bridge spar and its cables evokes an image of a harp, Ireland’s national symbol, lying on its edge.
2. Luke Kelly Statue Guild Street
Distance from The CCD: 270m / 3 minute walk
Luke Kelly was an Irish musician from Dublin known for being a founding member of the well-known Irish fold bank ‘The Dubliners.’ Kelly was a member of the band between 1962 up until his death in 1984 aged 43. In January 2019 two statues, one on either side of Dublin City, were unveiled in his memory. Between Guild Street and Sheriff Street, where Kelly was born, a marble head designed by the portrait artist Vera Klute, was unveiled.
3. Diving Bell
Distance from The CCD: 450m / 6 minute walk
Designed by port engineer Bindon Blood Stoney (1828 – 1907), Dublin Port’s ‘Diving Bell’ was used to build the city’s quay walls for almost 90 years up until the 1960’s. Its lower section was hollow and bottomless with enough room for six men to work at a time. Once lowered into position on the riverbed, crew entered through an access funnel from the surface an air was fed from an adjacent barge. The Bell has recently been refurbished and visitors can now walk through the structure’s interior.
4. Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship
Distance from The CCD: 500m / 7 minute walk
Jeanie Johnston is a replica of a tall ship that was built in Quebec, Canada in 1847. The original ship was used as a cargo vessel and traded between Tralee, Co. Kerry and North America during the Irish famine, bringing emigrants from Ireland to North America, and in return bring timber back to Europe. In 2000, the replica Jeanie Johnston was launched and christened by President of Ireland Mary McAleese. The vessel sailed from Tralee to Canada and onto 32 US and Canadian cities before returning to Ireland. Today, the Jeanie Johnston is moored off Custom House Quay.
5. EPIC Irish Emigration Museum
Distance from The CCD: 550m / 7 minute walk
The CHQ building is an industrial building located on the north quays of the River Liffey. Built in 1820, the building, formerly known as Stack A, was used to house cargos of tea, tobacco and spirits. The building was restored in the early 2000’s and today hosts a number of businesses including the EPIC THE Irish Emigration Museum and Dogpatch Labs.
6. Grand Canal Square
Distance from The CCD: 650m / 11 minute walk
Grand Canal Square was opened in June 2007. Located at Grand Canal Dock on the south side of the River Liffey between Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and Pearse Street, the Square features a ‘red carpet’ extending from the theatre into and over the dock. The square is also criss-crossed by granite paved paths that allow movement across it in any direction.
- The Custom House
Distance from The CCD: 1km / 13 minute walk
The Custom House is an 18th century building located on the north bank of the River Liffey. When the building opened in 1791, it was used for collecting custom duties at Dublin Port. When the port moved further down river, the building became the headquarters of the Local Government Board for Ireland. Today, the building houses the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.
