Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of Seascapes your maritime programme, this week we’re featuring The Ha’penny Bridge” by Michael English published by Dublin City Council and Four Courts Press to coincide with the bi–centenary of the iconic structure that spans the river Liffey – the first cast iron bridge on this island and the first footbridge across The Liffey built in the Coalbrookdale Iron Foundry with the contract being signed two months before the Battle of Waterloo .........the book has contributions from historian Gerard Smyth ; Architect- Sean Harrington on its near neighbour the Millennium Bridge ; David de Haan, retired director of The Ironbridge Institute; Logan Sisley, Exhibitions Curator at Dublin City Gallery – The Hugh Lane; Annette Black and Michael Barry co authors of The Bridges of Dublin and Michael English on the shipping the black stuff and much else , it is beautifully illustrated and a superb production , so a few weeks ago Seascapes met up with Michael to discover more about the bridge built by John Beresford and William Walsh and its history and its remarkable construction at the height of the industrial revolution and how it got its name............
You are listening to Seascapes the maritime programme and our guest this week is author Michael English and the recently published story of The Ha’penny Bridge......
Michael English on the lavishly produced book on The Ha’Penny Bridge produced by Dublin City Council and Four Courts Press you can win a copy on Seascapes this week.......we have just the one courtesy of Four Courts Press , can you tell us the name of the two individuals who operated ferries on the river and had the bridge built to facilitate people attending Crow Street Theatre the premier entertainment venue of the period. Answers on a post card to Seascapes, RTE Radio 1, Fr Mathew Street, Cork or by email to [email protected].
Over the next fortnight here on Seascapes we re- visit the performances from “Starboard Home” commissioned by The Dublin Port Company and held in the National Concert Hall this Summer featuring Paul Cleary ; Paul Noonan ; Lisa O’ Neill so until next Friday night here on Seascapes as we approach the festive season, tight lines and fair sailing.”
