Anna Liffey’s express
Developer’s dream for ambitious cable car service along river will go before city council next week
AT FIRST glance these incredible images look like something from a futuristic sci-fi film.
But they are actually mocked-up plans for a daringly ambitious scheme to build a cable car line along the River Liffey.
The project, titled Suas, is the brainchild of Dublin developer Barry Boland, who claims it would attract huge numbers of tourists to the city and rival major attractions such as the Eiffel Tower or the London Eye.
Mr Boland first brought the project to Dub-
‘We needed 5km of real estate without buildings’
lin City Council in 2006 but the idea never took off. But now it is back on the table and will be discussed by the council on Monday week.
The developer says he has €80m funding secured and is not looking for any state grants. But before he can submit an application for planning permission he needs the blessing of property owners along the route.
It is understood that this is what will be discussed at the council meeting in a week’s time. If the project is approved, Mr Boland will submit an application for planning permission with the aim of being up and running by St Patrick’s Day 2017.
‘There are cable cars all over the world. Indeed, it is one of the oldest and safest forms of transport in history. However, nobody has managed to create the technology to travel along a route like the River Liffey. In that sense it would be a major attraction for tourists.’
Mr Boland’s plan is to build four huge white towers – two of which would be 80 metres high – at various points between Heuston Station and the Convention Centre.
The cable cars would run along a series of wires that would zigzag down the Liffey and be held up by these towers. ‘The reason we chose the river was because we needed five kilometres of real estate with no buildings on it which was owned by very few people,’ he said.
‘When we plotted the top 50 attractions in Dublin, all of them are visible from the river. Tourists would get a map of the attractions, then take the trip and know where they are. They can then go and visit whatever they want,’ he said.
The plan would also involve building a pedestrian bridge at the civic offices along the river.
Each cable car would carry up to 25 passengers who would pay €16 for a one-way, 20-minute trip. .
A spokesman for Dublin City Council said: ‘If consent is given, an application would be lodged and assessed by normal procedures.’
Reacting to the plan, Councillor Gerry Breen said: ‘I would have serious concerns about the visual intrusion it would have on the city.
‘It’s a grand idea but I think it has too many negatives… my gut would say they shouldn’t be approved.’