Bridge

The National Monuments Service's description

During the seventeenth century plantation of Donegal, 1000 acres in Letterkenny was granted to Captain Crawford. Near to his house Sir George Merbury 'hath erected a market town called Letterkenny, consisting of 50 thatched houses whereof 13 have clay and stone walls, and one watermill (DG053-044----)' (Treadwell 1954-5, 41). This bridge was described in the 1654 Civil Survey of Donegal as 'there is therein a Towne called Litterkenny (DG053-042----) wch hath a Markett every ffryday,and two faires in the yeare wth a Larg dwelling Stone house (DG053-042002-) haveing a Bawne (DG053-042001-) of fower fla[n]ckers a fair Church (DG043-043001-) And a bridg [e] (DG053-042004-) at the End of the sd. towne over the sd. River of Swolly'. This bridge is depicted as 'The Bridge' on the Down Survey (1655-6) barony map on, or close to the location of the present bridge over the River Swilly. On this map the 17th century settlement of Letterkenny is shown located to the N of the bridge with a road depicted as the 'H [ig] h Way' leading from the bridge and running E towards Aghanunshin Hill. A second road is shown forking off this road and running up to the NW and probably connected the castle and church to the bridge. This seventeenth century bridge may have been either replaced or incorporated into the present Oldtown bridge, the foundations of the older bridge may still be present in the bed of the River Swilly. Present remains of Oldtown Bridge consist of an early 18th century (c. 1700-1740) triple arched masonry road bridge with tall pointed cutwaters. The undersides of the arches has been recently strengthen by the addition of a thick layer of concrete.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload/revision: 19 July 2010