THE HEART OF DUBLIN
RTÉ’s new six-part documentary series about the River Liffey shows how important it is to the capital
The River Liffey cuts the capital in two, but it’s far more than just a separator for the southside and northside. A new RTÉ six-part documentary series, written by Joseph O’Connor and narrated by Angeline Ball, captures the lives and stories of a diverse group of people who are unified by the river.
Rising in an anonymous bog in the Wicklow Mountains, the Liffey traverses Kildare before becoming the heart and soul of Dublin. This documentary series goes on a journey with a river brimming with history and overflowing with stories.
The first episode tonight focuses on protection and defence with the work of Dublin Fire Brigade and the Irish Navy.
The Liffey offers safe harbour to some while others need to be rescued from its dangerous depths. We join a crew on board the LÉ William Butler Yeats as they return to Sir John Rogerson’s Quay after time away at sea.
Drainage Supervisor David Green of Dublin City Council brings us underground on the Poddle to learn what the Liffey had to offer to the Vikings and how the city of Dublin began.
We also see the lengths Dublin Fire Brigade go to in order to save people from the
Liffey as SWIFT water instructor and fire fighter Conor Morris conducts a major rescue drill in the cold city waters.
Further episodes show how the Liffey has been harnessed to create electricity, to drive an economy and to provide a gateway to the world. A crane operator gives us a bird’s eye view of Dublin Port, we learn about a forgotten community wiped out by the Poulaphouca Dam and we hear how a brilliant engineer and many brave dock workers shaped the Liffey into the river we see today.
Finally, there’s the recreational aspect of the river’s waters as fishers. kayakers and swimmers tell their stories.
The Liffey is on RTÉ One tonight at 7.30pm.