Grand Canal Dock facts for kids
Grand Canal Dock (Irish: Duga na Canálach Móire) is a cool, modern area in Dublin, Ireland. It's located on the south side of the city, right where the Grand Canal meets the River Liffey. This area used to be old docks, but since the year 2000, it has been completely transformed!
Many big technology companies, like Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Airbnb, have their offices here. Because of all these tech companies, people sometimes call the area "Silicon Docks", which is a fun nod to "Silicon Valley" in the USA, a famous tech hub.
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Where is Grand Canal Dock?
There isn't a super strict boundary for Grand Canal Dock, but generally, it's bordered by the Liffey River to the north. To the east, you'll find South Lotts Road, and to the south, Grand Canal Street. Macken Street is usually considered the western edge.
This area is home to the Grand Canal Dock railway station, which is also known as Barrow Street Station. You can also find the national Waterways Ireland Visitor Centre here, which is a great place to learn about Ireland's canals and rivers.
How to Get Around Grand Canal Dock
The Grand Canal Dock railway station is a handy way to get to the area. It opened in 2001, but the train line itself has been around since 1834! If you like cycling, you'll be happy to know that several Dublin Bikes stations opened here in 2014, making it easy to explore on two wheels.
The Story of Grand Canal Dock
The Grand Canal Docks first opened way back in 1796. They were designed by a man named William Jessop and were actually the biggest docks in the world at that time!
However, things changed. As trains became more popular, people used the canals less and less. The docks started to decline. The area became quite industrial, with big piles of coal from the Dublin Gas Company, chemical factories, and other industries.
By the 1960s, the Grand Canal Docks were almost completely abandoned and run-down. It was a pretty polluted place.
Cleaning Up the Docks
Around 1987, the land was so polluted that it was considered too dangerous to sell. But then, in 1998, a big cleanup and rebuilding project began! A company called Bord Gáis sold the old gasworks site to a special group called the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) for €19 million.
The DDDA spent a lot of money, €52 million, to clean up the land. This process involved building an underground wall and digging out the polluted soil. It was a huge job that took place between 2002 and 2006, with help from the Environmental Protection Agency.
After the land was clean, something amazing happened. The price of land in the area went way up, partly because Google decided to build its European headquarters nearby! This meant the DDDA could sell the cleaned-up land for a massive €300 million. They used some of this money to improve the area even more, adding things like new streetlights and public spaces.
Since then, many new buildings have been constructed, thousands of people have moved in, and the area has truly become the "Silicon Docks" we know today.
New Plans and Buildings
In 2014, a special fast-track plan was approved to build even more offices and homes in the Grand Canal Dock area. This means new and exciting developments are always happening!
- U2's Connection: The famous band U2 has a history with this area. They once had a studio here. There were plans for them to have space in a tall tower, but those plans changed. Now, they've bought back some land in the area.
- Boland's Mill: The old Boland's Mill site, which used to be a working mill, is being completely rebuilt. It will become "Bolands Quay" and will have new homes, offices, shops, and public spaces. They are even keeping and restoring some of the old stone buildings!
- New Buildings on Hanover Quay: Plans are also in place for new office buildings and homes, including apartments, a leisure centre, and cafes, on Hanover Quay.
Cool Buildings in Grand Canal Dock
Grand Canal Dock is home to some really interesting and modern buildings.
Grand Canal Square
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Grand Canal Square was finished in 2008. It's a unique public space that cost €8 million. It has cool red paving that sticks out into the water, with glowing red poles. It's a great place to hang out!
Alto Vetro
The Alto Vetro apartment building is a very modern and award-winning building. It even won a special medal for housing design!
Boland's Mill
Boland's Mill was a working mill until 2001. After that, the site, with its old stone buildings and tall concrete silos, became empty. As of February 2019, it's being rebuilt into a huge new area called Bolands Quay, with new homes, offices, shops, and public areas.
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre is the biggest theatre in Ireland! It was designed by a famous architect named Daniel Libeskind. It first opened in 2010 as the Grand Canal Theatre, but its name was changed in 2012.
The Factory
The Factory is a cool place that has studios for the Irish Film and Television Network. It also has rehearsal and recording studios where the band U2 recorded some of their albums!
Google Docks
The Montevetro building, finished in 2010, is the tallest commercial building in Dublin, standing at 67 metres high. It was sold to Google in 2011 and renamed "Google Docks". In 2014, a cool, curving footbridge called "Hyperlink" was built to connect Google Docks to Google's other offices nearby.
The Marker Hotel
The Marker Hotel is a very fancy hotel designed by a Portuguese architect. It opened in 2013 and has the city's first rooftop terrace and bar, offering amazing views!
Millennium Tower
Millennium Tower is an apartment building right on the Grand Canal. At 63 metres tall, it was the tallest apartment building in Dublin from 1998 to 2009.
Other Modern Office Buildings
Next to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, you'll find other modern office buildings. These were also designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. One of them is home to Facebook's European headquarters!
