Bridge

The National Monuments Service's description

On the N side of Callan, crossing Kings River, between Upper and Lower Bridge St., the former street being S of the bridge and the latter to the N. A stone bridge across the Kings River at the N end of the town of Callan. In 1538 the Ormond Deeds refer to a transaction, where Piers Butler, Earl of Ormond grants to, ‘Thomas Howleghan, carpenter’… ‘two messuages in the town of Callan, one lying by the great bridge’ (Curtis 1937, vol. 4, 181, deed 225). Ormond Deeds dating from 1577 refer to, ‘a mease in the hill of Callan by the north end of the great bridge’ (Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 284, deed 292). The bridge is illustrated on a Down Survey Map (1655-6) with a castle/gatehouse (KK026-010027-) on the S side (Manning 1998, 65, fig. 15).
A three-arch rubble stone bridge with cutwaters. According to a plaque on the bridge, the latter was, ‘erected at the expense of the Co. Kilkenny August 1818 during the sovereignty Humphrey Hartley Esq. J. P. - middle arch destroyed 1922 restored 1925 R. F. Bowen Esq. C. Surveyor (https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/12314069/callan-south-callan-kilkenny; accessed 13 June 2022). The extent to which the medieval bridge was replaced is unknown and it is possible that the present bridge contains medieval fabric.

See attached:
KK026-010083-_01 Extract from the Down Survey (1655-6) in Manning 1998, 65, fig. 15
KK026-010083-_02 Photograph of the bridge from the SW (https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/12314069/callan-south-callan-kilkenny; accessed 13 June 2022)

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 28 June 2022

References

Curtis, E. 1941 (ed.) Calendar of Ormond Deeds 1547-1584 A.D. Vol. 5. Dublin. The Stationery Office.

Curtis, E. (ed.) 1937 Calendar of Ormond Deeds 1509-1547 A.D. Vol. 4. Dublin. The Stationery Office.

Manning, C. 1998 The Civil Survey of Inistioge and Callan, Co. Kilkenny. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries 128, 48-73.