Remains of Bridge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single-span draw girder bridge carrying the former railway over the Newry Canal. Only the abutments and part of the roller mechanism survive. The former are of rusticated granite blocks in regular courses set into the side walls of canal which is here narrowed. Five sets of rollers along the east bank allowed the span to be rolled back to enable vessels to pass through; one of these rollers survives intact along with three other roller brackets. Five metal pillow blocks survive along the top edge of the west abutment. Although the bridge was orthogonal to the canal, the single-track line was set skew to its deck in order to align with the nearby Dublin Bridge station.

Historical information

Line on which bridge located opened in 1861 as an extension of the Newry - Armagh railway from its Edward Street terminus (opened 1854) to Dublin Bridge Station, where it connected with an extension of the Newry - Warrenpoint railway (opened 1849). Operated by the Newry & Armagh Railway Co, absorbed into the Great Northern network in 1879, and closed 1965.

Secondary Sources:

1. F.J. Small (1876), Historical sketches of Newry, p.234.
2. Illustration in T. Canavan (1989), Frontier town: an illustrated history of Newry, p.149 (Belfast: Blackstaff Press).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Although the most significant part of this bridge has disappeared, it is nevertheless of some technical interest, as no others of this type are known in the province.