William Dargan Bridge - Dundrum, Dublin

William Dargan Bridge - Dundrum, Dublin, originally uploaded by infomatique.

The William Dargan Bridge is one of the wonders of Dublin. Going from north-west to south-east, it is a 'cable stay bridge'. Two enormous pillars rise from the ground on the northwest end of the bridge, one on either side of the track. These fuse together above to make a single pillar. The bridge itself is completely flat and is suspended by a series of giant cables from the pillar. The other side of the pillar is attached by a similar number of cables to a giant counterweight. This bare description does not do justice to the elegance of the bridge.

The Luas tram system opened on 30 June, 2004. It travels from Sandyford Industrial Estate as far as St Stephen's Green, and stops at the old Dundrum railway station. The trip from Dundrum to Dublin is about 15 minutes.