O'Connell Bridge
Coordinates: 53 ° 20 ′ 50 " N , 6 ° 15 ′ 33" W.
| O'Connell Bridge Droichead Uí Chonaill |
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| use | Road bridge | |
| Crossing of | Liffey | |
| place | Dublin , Ireland | |
| construction | Arch bridge | |
| overall length | ~ 50 m | |
| width | ~ 50 m | |
| Number of openings | 3 | |
| opening | First time: 1794 Reopening: 1882 |
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| construction time | New building: 1791 to 1794 Expansion: 1879 to 1882 |
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| planner | James Gandon | |
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The O'Connell Bridge ( Irish : Droichead Uí Chonaill ) is a road bridge that spans the River Liffey in the Irish capital, Dublin . It connects O'Connell Street in the north of the city with D'Olier Street in the south.
The original name of the bridge was Carlisle Bridge (after the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Frederick Howard , 5th Earl of Carlisle ). It was built between 1791 and 1794 based on a design by James Gandon .
Originally narrower and higher in the middle than at the ends, it was decided in 1879 to widen, level and adapt the bridge to Sackville Street (today: O'Connell Street) due to increased traffic . Today the bridge is 50 m wide and therefore as wide as it is long, which is unique in Europe. When the bridge reopened around 1882 , it was renamed after Daniel O'Connell - along with the unveiling of the O'Connell statue at the north end of the bridge.
There is a second O'Connell Bridge in Dublin; a pedestrian crossing that spans the small lake in St. Stephen's Green .
