A stretch of Dublin Bay that has never been accessible to the public is being opened today as part of a new greenway in the capital.
The Dublin Port-Tolka Estuary greenway will also allow people to safely travel to ferry terminals at the port by bike.
The almost 2.5km walking and cycling route begins in the East Point Business Park near East Wall, and runs to the ferry terminals inside Dublin Port.
The greenway is located along the port’s perimeter on land that was once used as a city dump and more recently was populated by trees and trailer yards.
It also opens up access to never-before-seen views of Dublin Bay including Clontarf, Bull Island and Howth Head.
It is the first phase of a two-part project. The next section, which is due to open in 2026, will link the north part of the port with its most eastern point
Lar Joye, Heritage Director of Dublin Port said the move is part of a wider plan to make Dublin Port a public amenity.
“This is part of our commitment to Dublin to open up the port as part of something we call ‘Port-City Integration’,” Mr Joye said.
He added: “What we’ve created here is a direct link to the two ferry companies for cyclists and pedestrians. But it’s also designed for people in Dublin to come down and see the port, see how it operates, and have a nice day here.
“Beforehand, this would have been just the edge of the port. You would have had some trees, but it was an area that nobody could come into because there was a large number of yards around this area.
“The port is very busy. It gets between 4,000-5,000 trucks a day, so it’s very difficult to be on the roads with so many trucks. This will give you complete free access through the port safely,” he said.
Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Manager, Caroline O’Keeffe, outlined that the greenway will form part of its ‘Dublin Coastal Trail’ that will link north and south Dublin.
“It runs from Skerries in the north down, to Killiney in the south, and it follows the Dart line all along the coast, but ultimately will include all the greenways,” she said.
Ms O’Keeffe added: “Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a real shift in visitors wanting to get outdoors. They want to explore the city from a different perspective, and they want to get out and meet local Dubliners, and they can do this on this greenway.”
The greenway also provides information points about local history and landscapes and has access to a nearby retail outlet with toilet facilities.
Up to €40 billion of trade flows through Dublin Port each year and it handles 80% of all containerised freight that comes into Ireland.
Over the next 15 years, the port hopes to have 15km of greenway running through its lands.
