Poolbeg () is an artificial

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

extending from

Ringsend Ringsend () is a Southside (Dublin), southside inner suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the south bank of the River Liffey and east of the River Dodder, about two kilometres east of the city centre. It is the sou ...

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, into

Dublin Bay Dublin Bay () is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland. The bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north–south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth He ...

History

The Poolbeg peninsula was built between the mid-18th century and the present day, starting with the Ballast Office Wall, the first section of the Great South Wall to be built on what was then a sandbar known as the South Bull. As the various sections of the Great South Wall were built, further sandbars formed where the

River Liffey The River Liffey (Irish language, Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major Tributary, tributaries include t ...

left its silt, and these were gradually filled with rubble and built upon. The name "Poole Begge" originally referred to a tidal pool located out in Dublin Harbour and surrounded by sandbars. This was where the Poolbeg Lighthouse was built in 1767. The lighthouse was connected to land by the Great South Wall, which was completed in 1795.

Overview

The Poolbeg "peninsula" is home to a number of landmarks, including the Great South Wall, the Poolbeg Lighthouse, the Irishtown Nature Park, the southern part of

Dublin Port Dublin Port () is the seaport of Dublin, Ireland, of both historical and contemporary economic importance. Approximately two-thirds of Ireland's port traffic travels via the port, which is by far the busiest on the island of Ireland. Locatio ...

, an energy-from-waste facility, and a

power station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

, formerly Dublin's main power station, which includes the two landmark chimneys, Dublin’s tallest structures.

Poolbeg Chimneys

The thermal station chimneys at

Poolbeg Generating Station Poolbeg Generating Station (), colloquially known as the Poolbeg Stacks, is a power station owned and operated by the Electricity Supply Board of Ireland (ESB). There are two stations on the site, the older thermal station containing units 1, 2 ...

are among the tallest structures in Ireland and are visible from most of Dublin city. Number 1 chimney is 207.48 m (680 ft 9 in) high, while Number 2 chimney is 207.8 m (681 ft 9in) high. The chimneys are featured prominently in the music video for the song "

Pride (In The Name Of Love) "Pride (In the Name of Love)" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the second track on the band's 1984 album, ''The Unforgettable Fire'', and was released as its lead single in September 1984. The song was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel ...

" by U2. Dublin City Councillor and historian Dermot Lacey began a process to list the chimneys for preservation to safeguard their future after the Station was to close in 2010. This was later refused by the Council Planning Department. They were subsequently listed as protected structures in July 2014.

21st century plans

New residential area and bridge

The Poolbeg West development consists of 34 hectares of land which has been designated for fast-track planning permission for the construction of nine-storey apartment blocks and up to 100,000 square metres of commercial and retail space, including 3,000 homes and commercial space for 8,000 workers. In June 2016,

Dublin City Council Dublin City Council () is the Local government in the Republic of Ireland, local authority of the city of Dublin in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. Until 2001, the authority was k ...

announced that it would fast-track the construction of a €30 million bridge linking Dublin's south Docklands with the planned new "urban quarter" on the Poolbeg peninsula. However, construction had not begun .

References

{{Coord missing, County Dublin Places in Dublin (city) Peninsulas of County Dublin