Dublin's most emblematic structure, the Ha'penny Bridge, has been obscured by an ugly sister, erected alongside, which looks like a poor relation of the hideous Loop Line bridge further down river.
But the new bridge is a temporary structure, installed at the behest of shopkeepers in Lower Liffey Street, who feared a six-month closure of the historic cast-iron bridge for refurbishment would ruin their trade.
Dublin Corporation is investing £1.8 million in the restoration of the city's oldest and busiest pedestrian bridge, assisted by funding from the Dublin Transportation Office, and it is intended to complete the project by September.
The city manager, Mr John Fitzgerald, admitted yesterday that the Ha'penny Bridge - erected in 1815 - had been "in rag order" for years. Six months ago, a section of its railings collapsed into the River Liffey.
"We had hoped to start work on it before Christmas, but that wasn't feasible because it's obviously the busiest time for shopping, and we promised the Liffey Street traders that we would put in a temporary Bailey bridge."
Mr Fitzgerald emphasised that the structure of the Ha'penny Bridge was still sound, even after nearly 200 years of use. On advice from Mr Paul Arnold, a leading conservation architect, almost all of it is being retained.
The intention is to carry out much of the refurbishment in situ, rather than dismantling the old bridge. One major change will involve "splaying" the enclosures at each end where toll booths once stood to make more room for pedestrians. This was the only contentious issue, the city manager said.
