Bridge

The National Monuments Service's description

Road bridge crossing the Little Brosna River connecting County Offaly to Tipperary.  A bridge was described here in the 1654-56 Civil Survey of County Tipperary (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 278) as the 'old bridge of Beallanadarragh'. Currently there is a humpback road bridge (Wth 5.25m; L 31m) over the Little Brosna River with a castle site (OF035-021001-) immediately to the NE and an ‘Old Malt Mill’ to the S on the E side of the river bank in Co. Offaly.  The present stone bridge has five large segmental arches, increasing gradually in height towards the centre, constructed of roughly cut stone voussoirs with slight evidence of hammer dressing. The presence of semicircular arches of different voussoirs on the upstream side suggests the possibility that the bridge has been widened, probably in the nineteenth century. Four cutwaters on the upstream side originally supported four pedestrian refuges (Wth 2.5m; D 1.4m) of which three survive intact. There has been recent re-pointing of the arch façade and rendering of the underside of the arch vaulting.  Present road bridge described by the NIAH as a; ‘Five-arch limestone road bridge over Little Brosna River, built c.1780. Segmental arches and with V-cut-waters to south elevation, those of central piers extending up to parapet level to provide pedestrian refuges. Rubble limestone walls with squared limestone voussoirs to arches. Concrete casing to bridge piers, render to barrels of arches’ (NIAH Reg. No. 22400518). Cross-reference with OF035-069----.

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

 

Compiled by Caimin O'Brien and Jean Farrelly

References

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1934 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. II: county of Tipperary - Western and Northern baronies. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.