Bridge

The National Monuments Service's description

Straddling the Shiven River, this nine-arch bridge is described as follows in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage: 'Nine-arch road over water bridge, built c.1830. Segmental arches with cut limestone voussoirs to arch rings, coursed random rubble limestone to spandrels. Triangular cutwaters with ashlar piers and pyramidal limestone caps. Random rubble limestone parapet with flat cement coping to west side. Crenellated screen wall to east side with cylindrical turrets to each end and one to riverbank, triangular coping to merlons, flat limestone coping to wall. Projecting chamfered string course below crenellations, crenellated parapet to turrets supported on stone brackets. Tarmacadamed carriageway with concrete kerbs. Random rubble limestone walls to adjacent fields, with pointed-arch pedestrian gateway to south-west. Carrying traffic over the River Shiven, this unusual bridge has been part of the infrastructure of the area for over a hundred and fifty years. The crenellated screen wall with its turrets is a unique and attractive feature of the bridge. There is evidence that the screen wall is a later addition and was built on top of an existing parapet which matched the west face. A whimsical addition to the local architectural heritage, this bridge is also a fine example of nineteenth-century stonework and a valuable asset to the industrial heritage of the area' (http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah accessed 3 April 2017).

Compiled by: Olive Alcock

Date of upload: 3 April 2017