James Joyce and Sameul Beckett Bridges, Dublin, Ireland

James Joyce Bridge, Dublin, Ireland

What other country would name two bridges after famous authors?  Some people like to call Ireland the "old sod," but there's plenty of new and innovative things to see there too.  In honor of Saint Patrick's day (what else?) we're taking a look at two 21st century bridges spanning the River Liffey in Dublin. Both doricheads (which is Gaelic for bridge) were designed by the preeminent architect Santiago Calatrava. 
 Calatrava is Spanish, not Irish, but he's certainly experimental enough to please admirers of James Joyce and his spare elegance is ideal for commemorating Samuel Beckett, that master of lean and unadorned prose.

James Joyce Bridge, looking south

     From a distance, the Joyce Bridge looks like a fairly ordinary ached span. (Engineers call it a tied arch bridge). When you approach it head on, however, you can see that the arches flare outward.  Though only 131 feet (40 m) long, the bridge has the feel of a grand promenade.  It was dedicated on "Bloomsday," June 16, 2003.
    Why Bloomsday?  Joyce-o-philes will have no problem with the answering that question.  For those not so familiar with his work, Joyce's epic novel Ulysses takes place on a single day, June 16th,  in the life of one Leopold Bloom.  The bridge has another connection to his work.  The house facing the bridge on its south end, No. 15 Usher's Island, is the setting for Joyce's short story The Dead.

   Located downstream from the Joyce Bridge, the Samuel Becket Bridge strikes a completely different silhouette.  A single pylon, or spar, at the south end rises 155.5 feet (48 m) above the surface of the water.  Known as a "tapered tubular doubled backed stay," the pylon is supported by 31 steel cables. The shape has been compared to an Irish harp lying on its side.

  The Beckett Bridge is 354 feet (120 m) long with four lanes for vehicle traffic plus sidewalks and bike paths.  And it moves too, rotating on a level plane towards the shore to accommodate passing boats.
    The dedication on December 10, 2009, was attended by literary luminaries including poet Seamus Heaney. Actors read excerpt's from Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, and other works.  Fortunately, no one had to wait long to cross the bridge.  It opened that day and has been busy every since.
   Calatrava, a combination civil engineer, architect, sculptor, and all-round designer,  has become something of a master bridge builder for our era.  Scattered across the globe, his bridges have redefined the form, changing our idea of what a bridge can be.


Links:
The Dublin City Council has a fact sheet with stats and other information on the bridges you can download in PDF format.
All things Joyce are available at the Joyce Center and you can find out more about Samuel Beckett at the Modern Word's Beckett Page.  To learn more about Dublin follow the Dublin Culture Trail.  Finally, if you're interested in bridges PBS has a great set of links as part of their Building Big series.

Photo Credits:
Wiki-Commons