Essex Bridge was an arched stone structure with seven piers, and apparently partly constructed from the ruined masonry of nearby St. Mary's Abbey, Dublin on the northside.

[1] Between 1753 and 1755 the bridge was rebuilt by George Semple, to correct flood and other structural damage and as one of the first initiatives of the Wide Streets Commission.

[8] Many ships needed to travel this far upriver in order to berth in front of the old Custom House, the centre of merchant activity in the city from 1707 until 1791.

During this construction, some original features were removed, including the equestrian statue of George I, by John van Nost the Elder,[9] which was moved in 1798 to the gardens of the Mansion House.

From 2002, Dublin City Council undertook a reconstruction of the bridge deck,[11] with granite paving for the footpaths and a set of benches with wooden seats and toughened glass backs.