We all cross this bridge when we come to it... The Ha'penny bridge was built in 1816. Before this there were several ferries operated by William Walsh which crossed the Liffey. The ferries 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 ha'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. While the toll was in operation there were turnstiles at either end of the bridge. The lease of the toll ended in 1916 and since then you can cross the bridge for free.