Heritage Bridges of County Cork

Heritage Bridges of County Cork Published by Heritage Unit of Cork County Council 2013 Phone: 021 4276891 - Email: [email protected]. ©Heritage Unit of Cork County Council 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher. Paperback - ISBN No. 978-0-9525869-6-8 Hardback - ISBN No. 978-0-9525869-7-5 Neither the authors nor the publishers (Heritage Unit of Cork County Council) are responsible for the consequences of the use of advice offered in this document by anyone to whom the document is supplied. Nor are they responsible for any errors, omissions or discrepancies in the information provided. Printed and bound in Ireland by Carraig Print inc. Litho Press Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork, Ireland. Tel: 021 4883458 List of Contributors: (those who provided specific information or photographs for use in this publication (in addition to Tobar Archaeology (Miriam Carroll and Annette Quinn), Blue Brick Heritage (Dr. Elena Turk) , Lisa Levis Carey, Síle O‟ Neill and Cork County Council personnel). Christy Roche Councillor Aindrias Moynihan Councillor Frank O‟ Flynn Diarmuid Kingston Donie O‟ Sullivan Doug Lucey Eilís Ní Bhríain Enda O‟Flaherty Jerry Larkin Jim Larner John Hurley Karen Moffat Lilian Sheehan Lynne Curran Nelligan Mary Crowley Max McCarthy Michael O‟ Connell Rose Power Sue Hill Ted and Nuala Nelligan Teddy O‟ Brien Thomas F. Ryan Photographs: As individually stated throughout this publication Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSi Licence number 2013/06/CCMA/CorkCountyCouncil Unauthorised reproduction infringes Ordnance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright. © Ordnance Survey Ireland, 2013 Message from Cllr Noel O’Connor Mayor of the County of Cork and Martin Riordan, County Manager It is with great pleasure that we mark the publication of the Heritage Bridges of County Cork. The role of Cork County Council in promoting the heritage of the county – archaeology, architecture, biodiversity, and cultural heritage is a very important one. This publication serves as a fine example of that role and we feel confident that it will encourage a greater appreciation and sense of pride in the many, many bridges in our county. Cork, or Corcaigh “as gaeilge”, which is the largest County in Ireland, derives its name from the Irish word „Corcach‟, meaning marsh. This instantaneously conveys the image of a tricky terrain for the movement of people and goods, and throughout the millennia, and not too long after the last Ice Age, people have strived to devise methods and ways to overcome these marshes, rivers and other natural obstructions for the ease of movement. It is therefore not surprising that the County of Cork is home to thousands of bridges, in their many shapes and forms. How many of these do we pass over (or under) each day on our way to work or school or a hurling match against the rival parish? What can you tell of the history of that bridge? When and why was it constructed? Do you know that a mighty battle was fought at that very same site 400 years ago as in the case of Aughariddera Bridge in Mullinhassig? Do you know that Buttevant Old Bridge is believed to date back to the 13th Century? Do you know that an earlier bridge in Innishannon was completely destroyed in 1755 as a result of an earthquake over 900 miles away and do you know that an ogham stone was once used to cross the Delehinagh River, now the present day site of St. Olan‟s Well Bridge? This publication is full of many other interesting stories about the history of bridges throughout the County. Moreover, the publication also sets out to convey to the reader, the importance of the bridge in the development of places, and society as a whole, from the earliest times right down through the centuries. This is done by looking at the various types of bridges over time, the need for different architectural forms and styles, the ecology of bridges and their environment and their place in the psyche of so many Irish people owing to sources such as placename evidence. By covering these and so many other aspects it is hoped that this publication will both entertain and inform the reader, and most importantly, not unlike our bridges - build links with the past, present and future. We commend the work of the Heritage Unit in producing this fascinating and very informative publication. Preamble and Acknowledgements: This publication is an action of the County Cork Heritage Plan and has gratefully received funding from the Heritage Council and the heritage budget of Cork County Council. For more information on the effortless work and support of the Heritage Council, visit their website www.heritagecouncil.ie. The Heritage Unit of Cork County Council wishes to sincerely thank Tobar Archaeology (Miriam Carroll and Annette Quinn), Blue Brick Heritage (Dr. Elena Turk) and Lisa Levis Carey as the primary contributors to this publication, who devised a text that is both interesting and informative. Their ingenuity, unfaltering commitment and professionalism is evidenced throughout every page of this book. A special thank you also to Síle O‟ Neill for her many artistic sketches. The idea for this publication owes itself to County Archaeologist Mary Sleeman who in her many years working as an Archaeologist, has continued to be fascinated by the Bridges all around us – what better way to convey their story than this publication. The project process from commencement to completion was managed by County Heritage Officer, Conor Nelligan, with the backing and support of John O‟ Neill, Director of Service, Mary Sleeman, County Archaeologist and Mona Hallinan, County Conservation Officer. A special thank you also to Beatrice Kelly, Head of Policy and Research with the Heritage Council, for her advice and support in relation to this publication and to Sharon Casey and John Redmond for their advice of an ecological nature. As part of this project, numerous Heritage Groups and individuals throughout the County were asked to nominate bridges in their locality and share with us any stories, folklore or interesting facts about them. Although the number of bridges put forward greatly outweighed the scope of this publication, it was delightful to see such a high response. We are extremely grateful for every single contribution and it is thanks to these submissions that this publication contains such a variety and wealth of information. Thank you all. A special thank you also to Liam Dromey and Daniel Ryan for their assistance with specific information relating to many of the bridges featured in this publication. Prior to the design and print phase of this publication, the final text was edited by Conor Nelligan, Mary Sleeman and Mona Hallinan. A very special thank you to all at Carraig Print for their professionalism and approachability in creating the typeset and layout for the publication as well as the printing of same. Lastly, thanks to you, the reader, for your interest in the shared Heritage of County Cork. Conor Nelligan Heritage Officer Cork County Council Table of Contents Chapter One : Introduction 05 Chapter Two: History & Development 08 Chapter Three: Parts of a Bridge 18 Chapter Four: Ecology 26 Chapter Five : Featured Bridges 28 Chapter Six: Legislation 58 Chapter Seven: Conclusion 60 References and Further Reading 63 CHAPTER 1 Introduction Bridges are an integral part of our landscape, and our daily lives. Yet we rarely take time to look at them, or think about their rich history and meaning. Cork County is crossed by a number of notable rivers over 1,200 kilometres in length with some of the most prominent of these being the Blackwater, the Lee and the Bandon (140km, 85.5km and 62km in length respectively (O‟ Mahony, 2009)), as well as many other important rivers, tributaries and streams such as the Bride, Awbeg, Funchion and Allow. Many of these watercourses spread out to form marshes, lakes and wetland areas along their course and it is therefore not surprising that the meaning of the County name Cork is derived from the Irish word Corcach meaning marsh. It is this natural landscape and topography of the County that has determined how people move from place to place. Over time, this has resulted in the construction of a wide range of bridges and crossing points and together, these form a cohesive cultural heritage resource which can give us a valuable insight into the history of County Cork. Rivers and their crossing places have had a significant influence on the development of permanent settlement sites, such as towns and villages. Rivers, as natural boundaries, have considerable political and military significance. Bridges and crossing places form gateways and in some cases their tactical value was such that castles were built to protect them, and battles fought around them. The history and development of bridges is interlinked with the development of routeways and later, on more permanent road and highways. In the later medieval period the Anglo-Normans invested heavily in bridge construction and defence to help them gain a foothold in Ireland. In addition the development of roads facilitated the ease of movement of goods to and from the market in the newly established towns. The better the bridges and routeways, the quicker an army could advance into an area and suppress insurrection. A similar pattern is seen in the 17th century with the Plantations, and indeed, in the British Government‟s response to the 1798 rebellion and the 1820‟s Whiteboy insurrection. The Griffiths Bridges in Duhallow were an attempt to reduce the risk of insurrection by making it easier for law keeping forces to move about the country.

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