New Liffey bridge to be called after Rosie Hackett

Irish Times reports: Dublin City Council voted this evening to call the new bridge over the Liffey at Marlborough Street after Rosie Hackett, a trade unionist who co-founded the Irish Women Workers’ Union (IWWU) in 1911.

An original list of 85 names was whittled down to five – Rosie Hackett, Willie Bermingham, Bram Stoker, Kay Mills and Frank Duff.

The task of choosing the name “wasn’t easy” according to councillor Nial Ring.

“However, Rosie Hackett was the winner and now we will soon have a bridge over the Liffey named after a woman, a trade unionist and a rebel all in one” Mr Ring said.

“A huge amount of canvassing was done by the public and it was great to see such interest in this process, and in the end Rosie’s name was picked and we will soon have the Rosie Hackett Bridge over the Liffey and I am sure the Dublin public will warm to the new name and appreciate why Rosie was selected ahead of such eminent names” he added.

“It is great that someone so closely associated with the 1913 Lockout and the 1916 Rising has been selected, although I am not so sure officialdom would have wanted Rosie’s name as it will be constant and long term reminder of our past history which it seems the Government want to draw a line under after their so-called “decade of commemorations”.