CLEANING THE LIFFEY
In 2021 a unique purpose-built rubbish collection vessel, the Liffey Sweeper was launched by the Irish Nautical Trust to collect debris from Dublin’s rivers, including the Liffey, Dodder, and Tolka estuary. Part of the River Liffey Cleaning Project, the vessel removes floating waste such as plastics, cans, and bottles before they reached Dublin Bay. Fitted with a deep cage, it gathers surface and subsurface debris, which are later sorted for recycling or energy recovery at Poolbeg, or safely returned to the river.
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MURPHY’S VISION
The Liffey Sweeper is the brainchild of Jimmy Murphy of the Irish Nautical Trust, an organisation founded in 1986 with a clear aim: “Our mission is to preserve Dublin’s maritime heritage while supporting the next generation of maritime skills. We provide certified training for unemployed and disadvantaged young people in the Dublin Port area, helping them gain the competence needed for long-term work on the water. Alongside this, we remain committed to safeguarding nautical heritage and supporting employment across the Dublin Port and Docklands community.”
Speaking at the launch of the Liffey Sweeper in 2021, he explained, “I grew up by the river, so my research started when I was a child. This is an ecological and environmental development project, designed over the last two years to prevent the build-up of non-natural debris such as plastics, cans and disposable coffee cups, and to stop it reaching the sea and the Dublin Bay biosphere, where it affects marine wildlife.” The River Liffey has a special place in his heart. As he put it, “We have plans to get as much as 98 per cent of the waste out of the Liffey, and I hope we can get there.”
FUNDING AND SUPPORT
The Liffey Sweeper was funded by a €180,000 grant from the Dublin Waste to Energy Community Gain Projects Scheme, allowing the Irish Nautical Trust to buy the former Pacific-class vessel, previously used as a harbour clean-up boat in the UK. The pilot project was supported by the Irish Nautical Trust, Dublin Port Company, UCD’s School of Biology and Environmental Science, Dublin Waste to Energy/Covanta, and Dublin City Council.
HOW IT WORKS
Originally a Pacific-design vessel used for clearing debris and fallen trees in a UK harbour. For its new role, the vessel has been fitted with a deeper cage and an onboard sorting table to handle and separate the waste it collects. Plastics, cans, bottles and other non-natural items are collected before they drift downstream. Once brought onboard, the debris is sorted: recyclables go into designated bins, organic matter is returned to the river, and any remaining waste is taken by a licensed contractor for treatment at the Covanta Waste to Energy plant at Poolbeg.
EARLY OPERATIONS
When it first entered service in 2021, the Liffey Sweeper operated four days a week, covering the stretch from Butt Bridge down to the mouth of the river and the Clontarf area, including the basins and all shipping berths within Dublin Port.
UPCYCLED AS ART
Artist Rhona Byrne collaborated with the Irish Nautical Trust to upcycle plastic waste collected by the Liffey Sweeper. The material was processed by polymer engineers Paltech, who transformed the recovered plastics into coloured sheet material. In 2024, Byrne used these recycled sheets to create two love-seat sculptures titled “Restless: Liffey Love.” Made from millions of pieces of plastic, the seats now sit on North Wall Quay alongside the Liffey as an interactive public artwork, inviting people to stop, rest and connect with the river.
ONGOING IMPACT
Marine debris comes from many land-based sources, from litter and food containers to household waste, and tree branches washed through storm drains. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that up to 13 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year, roughly a bin truck’s worth every minute.
As the first vessel of its kind in Dublin, the Liffey Sweeper helps keep this waste out of the Dublin Bay Biosphere and makes a small but important contribution to tackling marine debris.
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Check out our video-story on the Liffey Ferry, operated by the Irish Nautical Trust:
Sources of Information, Photo & Video Credits:
‘Liffey Sweeper’ launched to clean Dublin’s rivers – Irish Independent
Dublin Bay Biosphere website
Image Magazine
Irish Nautical Trust – website & Facebook page
Liffey Love Website (Rhona Byrne)
Liffey Sweeper boat scoops up rubbish from Dublin port and rivers – The Irish Times
Photo – Conor McCabe
Photo – Alan Betson/The Irish Times
RTE News
The Irish Times – Conor Pope
