This is an excellent walk and only takes 35 mins if you don’t stop anywhere along the way. It’s a great route to explore parts of hidden Dublin and to come across some great local areas that show the old traditional Dublin sitting alongside the new shiny Dublin, where they co-exist very comfortably. Get your comfy shoes on and get exploring!
This is the route starting from the gibson hotel (black & white flag) and heading up North Wall Quay.
Starting off at the gibson hotel take a right turn along the North Wall Quay. Check out the new modern architecture with the award-winning Central Bank and The Convention Centre Dublin (known locally as the tube in the cube). There is still development happening in this part of Dublin city and you can see the old sitting along with the new, which is gives an edge to the area.
The Samuel Beckett Bridge is a recent addition to Dublin’s bridges and has added much drama to the city landscape. At night time the bridge comes into its own when the lights are used to full effect for occasional light shows. For more information you can brush up on your Dublin bridge knowledge here and impress your friends as you walk the route!
Crossing over the bridge you are entering into Silicon Docks, a nickname for this area due to growing number of tech companies based around here. You can certainly feel the new energy in this area and as you explore. You may see a few of companies that you recognise as you wander around.
You will also come across the Bord Gas Energy Theatre as you walk along by the dock and there are plenty of places to grab a coffee and a bite to eat in this area. So if the weather is nice you can sit back and enjoy the atmosphere.
As you continue to walk down Hannover Quay, you can see some of the local water activities available in this area, such as Wake Dock and Surf Dock. Its great fun to watch, but even more fun to do it! As you approach the end of the quay you can enjoy some of the amazing graffiti which seems to change regularly.
You will need to cross the canal using the little foot bridges as you wander along the path up to Ringsend. Ringsend is a village in Dublin city and you can easily see the local vibe of the area as you climb the steps (there are about 12 steps in case you have wheels).
At this point you can get a birds eye view of the Aviva Stadium which is a five minute walk from this spot. You could take a detour at this stage if you would like to get a closer view of this imposing structure.
Aviva Stadium
To head back to the gibson hotel, take the first left after the bridge which will lead you to the East Link Bridge or to give it its official title, the Thomas Clarke Bridge. This bridge lifts to allow the taller ships up the River Liffey, so beware of the heavier trucks as they trundle over the bridge as you will feel the movement!
You will see the iconic 3Arena next to the new EXO Tower. The blue skeleton on the exterior of the building makes it stand out from the crowd with people either loving it or hating it!
Just cross the road here – be careful as it’s a busy spot, and you are back at base.
