The Docklands Trail begins at O’Connell Bridge in the heart of the city. Follow the sign which directs you to the Custom House on Custom House Quay. The Custom House is one of Dublin’s great architectural treasures. It was designed by the famous architect James Gandon and completed in 1791 after a turbulent construction period of ten years. The distinctive copper-domed building – topped with a sculpture of Commerce, is classically proportioned and stretches for 114 metres along the quay. Keystone heads representing Ireland’s major rivers can be seen on all facades. The best view of the Custom House is from City Quay, just across the river. There is a Visitor Centre in the Custom House. Cross the road and talk a left turn immediately after the Custom House and you are walking towards the modern high-tech area of the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). The IFSC is Dublin’s most exciting business location and is one of the world’s fastest growing locations for financial services. Half of the world’s top 50 banks have offices in the IFSC, and half of the world’s top 20 insurance companies have operations in Dublin.
Walk past the AIB Bank Centre to your right and, keeping an eye out for the frequent Luas trams heading into Connolly Station directly ahead of you, take a right turn into the IFSC. Strolling into the IFSC, take note of the Harbourmaster Bar and Restaurant on your left. This building was originally the Dock Office. This area is known as Custom House Docks and two dock basins still exist – Georges Dock and the Inner Dock. Custom House Docks was a bonded warehouse until regeneration commenced in 1988. Turn right into Georges Dock and you will see Chq, a world-class retail, restaurant and cultural centre – the stunning result of a recent €50 million redevelopment programme of an early 19th century warehouse.
Walk out onto Custom House Quay and you will see the Famine Memorial statues, presented to the City of Dublin in 1997. These statues commemorate the Great Famine of the mid-19th century when Ireland lost more than one million people to famine and emigration. These statues were designed and crafted by Dublin sculptor Rowan Gillespie.
Visitors to the Docklands can also enjoy walking along the river on the newly developed quaysides. Walkways, cycle paths, seating and tree planting have created a wonderful public amenity. There are a number of hotels, pubs, restaurants, coffee shops and convenience stores along the walk. Nearby is one of Dublin’s premier live entertainment venues, The Point Theatre.
This walking trail has been developed with the assistance of EU funding. It will be 5km long when complete.