What's in a name?

There is no romance or historical intrigue about the name ‘West-Link Bridge’. It is a mere statement of purpose, a name conceived in the cold light of a business proposal, a work-a-day name for a work-a-day bridge. It links north to south, straddling the river high above the Liffey Valley to the west of Dublin city centre. Imagination played no part in its christening. The Ha’penny, Liam Mellows, Samuel Beckett - these and other bridge names resonate with the ancient and modern history of Dublin. West-Link’s of one kind or another exist from Australia to America.

From the old walled city, commercial and residential Dublin developed mainly along a west to east axis until the 20th century when suburban sprawl began to swallow the country villages to the west of the city. With the sprawl came car owners, business, commercial traffic and a need for a more sophisticated road network. It was a case of government decides and business provides: the first new bridge west of the city centre for over 100 years was thus built.

Ainm droichead as Gaeilge: Droichead Dola an Nascbhóthair Thiar.