The Ha'penny Bridge, an old iron footbridge over the River Liffey, officially named Liffey Bridge, is one of the most photographed sights in Dublin and is considered to be one of city's most iconic landmarks. Built in 1816 from cast iron, it was originally called the Wellington Bridge (after the Duke of Wellington). Before the Ha'penny Bridge was built there were seven ferries, operated by a William Walsh, but these were in a bad condition and Walsh was informed that he had to either fix them or build a bridge. Walsh chose the latter option and was granted the right to extract a half penny toll from anyone crossing it for 100 years. Initially the toll charge was based not on the cost of construction, but to match the charges levied by the ferries it replaced. A further condition of construction was that, if the citizens of Dublin found the bridge and toll to be "objectionable" within its first year of operation, it was to be removed at no cost to the city.
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