Bridge

The National Monuments Service's description

Three arches of the old medieval bridge of Finnea survive on either side of the modern single-span bridge which fords the drained River Inny. Those on the north side lie within Co. Cavan, while the corresponding southern arches are in Co. Westmeath. The bridge in its original state was a nine-span structure, three of the central spans having been since replaced with a modern single span. At some point the medieval bridge was added to on its E side. The surviving medieval arches are round headed (Wth 4.5m) and bear the remains of wicker centering together with some of the projecting corbels which formerly supported the centering (pers. comm. Conleth Manning). An ancient armorial plaque is incorporated into the east parapet of the modern span. In his memoirs, the Earl of Castlehaven refers to a skirmish at this bridge in 1644 and to the fact that it was built of stone and had a castle at its southern end (Castlehaven 1815, 70). (Fredengren et al. 2010, 123, Pl. 3.28)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 18 December 2012

References

Castlehaven, Earl of 1815 The Earl of Castlehaven's memoirs; or, his review of the Civil Wars in Ireland. Dublin.

Fredengren, C., Kilfeather, A., and Stuijts, I. 2010 Lough Kinale: studies of an Irish lake. Lake settlement project. Discovery Programme Monograph No. 8. Wordwell Ltd.

Manning, C. 1997 The Bridge of Finnea and the Man Who Built It. Archaeology Ireland, 11, 1, 29-31. Wordwell.