Dublin Discovered Boat Tours

Dublin Docklands History

In the past there was little contact between the communities on both sides of the river. Until Butt Bridge opened in 1879, Sackville Bridge (now O’Connell Bridge) was the nearest crossing-point, so people relied on the Liffey ferries to cross downstream. Until 1930 Ringsend was part of Pembroke Township, which was home to some of the wealthiest households in the Dublin area. In that year it became part of Dublin City.

The traditional Dublin industries, such as poplin and silk were located in the neighbourhood of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. When these industries declined after 1800, the population fell in older parts of the city. In Docklands by contrast the population increased steadily throughout the nineteenth century, and the vacant land was gradually covered with houses and commercial properties.

When the Custom House opened in 1791, Ringsend was the only part of this area that was developed. The remainder consisted of low-lying wastelands, which had been divided into lots – or lotts – by the Ballast Office. As the port expanded downriver, this land became more valuable. People and businesses moved into the Docklands, attracted by the prospect of jobs and the large tracts of underdeveloped land.

Some of the larger employers, like the railway companies, built housing for their workers. Speculative builders erected small cottages in the lanes and back streets to cater for the rising population, but commercial and industrial development took precedence and the houses were occasionally demolished to provide sites for warehouses or other business premises and housing standards were generally poor.