The Samuel Beckett Bridge sweeps across the Liffey on a single curved white pylon, its array of cables fanning out in the unmistakable shape of a harp laid on its side -- a deliberate nod to the national emblem of Ireland. Designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and opened in 2009, it has quickly become the signature image of the regenerated Docklands.
The bridge can swing open through ninety degrees to let ships pass, though it does so rarely. It is best admired from the quays at dusk, when it is floodlit and reflected in the river, with the Convention Centre's glass drum glowing just upstream. Cross it on foot for the view back toward the city and the angular Bord Gais Energy Theatre on the south bank.