No trip to Dublin is complete without the obligatory photo opportunity against the backdrop of this famous walkway. Built as the Wellington Bridge in 1816 by William Walsh, it was the first between Capel Street and O'Connell Bridges, and the Liffey's only pedestrian crossing until the Millennium Bridge opened in 2000. For 100 years, pedestrians were charged a halfpenny toll to cross its 43m, hence the enduring nickname. Its familiar arched sillouhette also suggests the coin-related moniker. The bridge was closed in 2001 for major repair and reopened in 2003 with its original paint colour restored. Today it is one of the oldest cast-iron bridges in the world, and its location at the gateway to Temple Bar virtually guarantees at least one traverse for any camera-happy traveller.
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