Kilmore Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Bridge of probable 18th century construction, carrying the Kilmore Hill Road over a stream. The bridge is rubble-built with four small crudely-fashioned (but roughly semicircular) arches. There is a buttress to the north end of the west face with a pipe running along this side also - attached to the face with metal brackets and supported on the piers between the arches (which project slightly). The parapets now have concrete coping and the stonework has been re-pointed in cement.

The bridge is located on the Kilmore Hill Road, approximately 1.4km south-west of Aghagallon. The area immediately around it has witnessed the development of several houses in recent years and the eastern side of the bridge can now only be seen from a garden of one of these (no.27)

Historical information

This bridge lies along what was originally the main route northwards from Lurgan, a route which was superseded in the later 1800s with the cutting of the present Cornakinnegar Road a short distance to the west.

On Taylor and Skinner’s map of 1776-77 the older road is shown crossing a stream in this general vicinity, but the small scale of the map makes it difficult to draw any firm conclusions. That said, this bridge’s rubble construction and four small (relatively crudely-formed) arches, suggests that it is likely to be of the 18th or, at the latest very early 19th century. As such it is highly probable that it is the same structure that is indicated on the 1832 OS map.

On the revised map of 1858 and all others thereafter it is marked as ‘Kilmore Bridge’.

References – Primary sources
1 ‘Taylor and Skinner’s Maps of the roads of Ireland’, (Dublin, 1777)
2 OS maps, county series, Down sheet 13 - 1833, 1858, 1903

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Four-arch road bridge of possible 18th century construction, now with concrete coping to the parapets and much cement re-pointing. Though of some local importance the bridge has been devalued by 20th-21st century interventions.