Great South Bull Wall, Dublin Port

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Description:
The Great South Bull Wall forms the southern breakwater protecting the channel into Dublin Port. Its partner, the North Wall, can be seen here as a thin line extending out under the rising sun.

Of the two walls, the south wall is the only one that can be walked for its entire length. The north wall, which was proposed by Captain William Bligh (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame) exists as a half-tide wall for half its length and is submerged between high- and half-tide. This (along with the Bull Bridge at the beginning of the wall) acts as a relief valve, protecting the wall from the tremendous forces of the outflowing tide.

The combination of the two walls results in a scouring action on the channel between them, deepening it from 6 to 16 feet, thereby allowing vessels to enter the Liffey that otherwise wouldn't be able to.

In this image, taken at high tide, we look east along the length of the south wall to Poolbeg lighthouse. The North Wall lighthouse can be seen emerging from the water covering the end of the north wall with the sun rising over a mist-shrouded Howth Head in the background.

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