Bridge

The National Monuments Service's description

Described in 1682 by Nicholas Dowdall as a stone bridge at 'Balnacarrow [Ballynacarrow] so called from a fishing near the River' (Gillespie and Moran 1991, 209). In the same year the bridge was described by Sir Henry Piers of Tristernagh as a 'late built bridge, not much more than of twenty years standing. The situation of this bridge (however it was built till our days) seemeth to have been laid out by nature, for it is founded on a rock, which lay always conspicuous (unless in great floods) in a straight line across the river, and at just distances to receive and sustain the arches of a bridge' (Vallancey 1786, 4-5). Present remains consist of a single-arched 19th or 20th-century bridge spanning the River Inny. On the Longford side of this bridge to the NW there is evidence of an earlier bridge consisting of five arches which appears to have been associated with a Corn Mill that is indicated on the first edition of the OS 6-inch map. This earlier bridge may incorporate remains of the 17th-century bridge described by Nicholas Dowdall.

Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 6 December 2016

References

Vallancey, C. (ed.) 1786 Collectanea de rebus hibernicis, Volume 1. Dublin. Luke White.

Gillespie, R. and Moran, G. (eds.) 1991 Longford: essays in county history. Dublin. Lilliput Press.