The Irish Times

The Millennium Bridge is the 16th to link Dublin's north and south sides, and is a fitting monument to the city's spiritual heart, physical focus and purpose of origin - the River Liffey. The Liffey is for many people the spiritual heart of Dublin, and the crossing of the Halfpenny Bridge is a ritual for visitors and Dubliners alike. Besides being the reason for the city's origin and existence, with its shipping history, the Liffey is a welcome natural presence in today's dense creation of manmade structures. Despite the continuous traffic and busy life of this urban centre, here are occasions when the smell of the sea steals its way up the river on a full tide, especially in winter, and is accompanied by seagulls and even the occasional heron.