N81 Tullow Footbridges and Associated Works, Tullow, County Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment

Prepared by: John Cronin & Associates Unit 3A Westpoint Trade Centre Ballincollig Co. Cork

On behalf of: Carlow County Council c/o Atkins Ireland Unit 2B 2200 Cork Airport Business Park County Cork

April 2018

Contents

1. Introduction ...... 3

2. Context ...... 4

3. Description of the site ...... 11

4. Assessment of proposed development ...... 13

5. Conclusions ...... 17

6. References ...... 18

Appendix: Photographic Record ...... 19

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 2 1. Introduction

John Cronin & Associates have been commissioned by Atkins Ireland on behalf of their client Carlow County Council to undertake an architectural heritage impact assessment of proposed works to construct new cantilevered pedestrian walkways on both elevations of the existing Slaney Bridge on the N81 road through Tullow, County Carlow as well as rearrangements to the carriageway of the bridge deck.

The Slaney Bridge in Tullow is not recorded by the Archaeological Survey of Ireland. It is a protected structure included on the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) within the current Carlow County Development Plan. In 1999, the bridge was rated as being of regional importance in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) survey of bridges and other historic structures in County Carlow.

This document has been informed by desktop research and a site inspection in February 2017. This report has been compiled by: • Eamonn Hunter BSc (Historic Masonry Conservation Specialist) • John Greene BArch MUBC MRIAI (Conservation Architect (RIAI Grade 1))

The present document does not purport to be a structural or material condition assessment and no opening-up works were undertaken as part of the visual inspection

Figure 1 General location of the bridge (encircled in yellow) on the River Slaney in Tullow (Source: Bing Maps)

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 3 2. Context

SITE AND LEGAL CONTEXT

NIAH ref.: 10400325 Carlow County Council RPS ref.: CW82 Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Eirspan structure ID: CW-N81-003.00 Grid reference: 685091(E), 673093 (N)

The bridge is located approximately 175m south-west of the Market Square in the centre of Tullow in County Carlow. The crossing carries the N81 two-way road across the Slaney River and forms the lower half of Bridge Street in the town. The N81 is a national secondary road that runs from Closh Cross, approximately eight kilometres south of Tullow, to Junction 11 on the M50 near Tallaght. The bridge spans from the townland of Tullowbeg on the south-west bank of the river to Tullowphelim on the north-east bank.

Figure 2 Subject bridge on the N81 over River Slaney in Tullow, Co. Carlow (Reproduced under Ordnance Survey Ireland Licence No. SU 0003317)

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND O’Keeffe and Simmington (1991, 94) state that the road through Tullow which the subject structure now carries was part of the Slíghe Chualann, an ancient roadway from the seat of the High Kings at Tara to an area of Leinster) A seventeenth-century reference to a bridge over the River Slaney in Tullow is to be found in an extract from Dineley1, who visited the town in 1680. It refers to the fact that the tenant of the Castle, William Crutchley, J.P., had repaired “the Town Bridge which is of stone with arches”.

The first rebuilding of the bridge took place in the eighteenth-century. The builder was Mr. Thomas Nowlan of Rathvaran, a farmer, in the year 1747; Sir Richard Butler, Bart;

1 Shirley, E (1862/3)

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 4 Thomas Bunbury, Robert Eustace, Robert Lecky and John Brewster are mentioned as overseers. In the year 1770, the Grand Jury for County Carlow at their Summer Assizes, thanked Mr. John Semple for drawing a plan and estimate for a bridge over the Slaney in Tullow. The members of the Grand Jury refer to the fact that Mr. Semple was the director and overseer of the work. They were well pleased with the completed structure finished "in a very strong and handsome manner". Furthermore, the cost was much cheaper than first anticipated, had they not had his advice. Names of Grand Jurors appended included C. Wolseley (Sheriff), Richard Butler, William Burton, Thomas Bunbury, Robert Browne, B. Burton Doyne, Richard Mercer, Robert Eustace, William Paul Butler, The Philus Perkins, John Perkins, Thomas Gurly, James Butler, Simon Mercer, Thomas Whelan, William Bernard, William Bunbury, William Vicars, and Bartholomew Newton.

The following extract from Samuel Lewis’ 1837 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland describes the history, civic amenities (including the subject road-bridge) and geography of Tullow and its productive surrounding agricultural land, in the early part of the nineteenth-century:

TULLOW, or TULLOWPHELIM, a market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of RATHVILLY, county of CARLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 7 ¼ miles (E. S. E.) from Carlow, and 46 ½ (S. S. W.) from Dublin, on the road from Carlow to Newtownbarry; containing 2587 inhabitants, of which number, 1929 are in the town. This place, which is situated on the river Slaney, over which is a bridge of five arches, built, according to an inscription on it, in the year 1767, is supposed to have been originally an appendage to a castle erected here by some of the first English settlers under the directions of Hugh de Lacy, and to a monastery founded here in 1315 for Augustinian friars by Simon Lumbard and Hugh Tallon, whose grant was confirmed, in 1331, by Edward III. At the dissolution its temporalities were granted to the Earl of Ormonde. The castle was defended by Colonel Butler in 1650 against the parliamentarian army, but after a stubborn resistance it was taken by Cols. Hewson and Reynolds. There are no vestiges of it now in existence, and the only relic of the abbey is a mutilated stone cross in a burial-ground on the south side of the river. It is said that the building was taken down in the reign of Queen Anne, to supply materials for the erection of a barrack on a site now occupied by the court-house.

The town comprises two main streets and a few lanes, in which are 305 houses, mostly of inferior description: its outlets extend into the two adjoining parishes of Ardristan and Killerig. It obtained a patent for holding a market on Saturday and again for another on Tuesday: the market is now held on Saturday, and is the best corn market in the county. Fairs are held on April 21st, July 10th, Oct. 29th, and Nov. 21st. The extensive flour-mill of Messrs. Doyle and Pim grinds about 10,000 barrels of wheat annually: there are also in the town two breweries belonging to Mr. Carter and Mr. Roche. General sessions of the peace are held in the town in January, April, June, and October; petty sessions are also held here: the business of both

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 5 is transacted in a small court-house. The town is a chief constabulary police station.

The parish contains 5837 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: about one-half of it is meadow and pasture, and the remainder under tillage, with the exception of a small portion of wood. Two of its townlands are locally situated in the adjoining county of Wicklow, The Derreen river flows along its south-eastern and southern boundaries, and at its southern extremity joins the Slaney near the church of Aghade.

Figure 3 Extract from 1st edition OS map showing the area centred on the previous bridge on the 1839 survey. This is the structure referred to by Samuel Lewis in 1837 (see extract in main text above) when he noted that it contained a date-stone inscribed with the year 1767. This map depicts a structure with five identifiable piers in the river channel compared with the present crossing held on three piers. (Map reproduced under Ordnance Survey Ireland Licence No. SU 0003317)

The limited research for this document shows that the present Slaney Bridge in Tullow clearly originated between the Ordnance Survey maps of 1839 and 1906 which are reproduced here in Figures 3 and 8 respectively and show two different bridge structures.

Charles Forth, Surveyor to the Grand Jury, submitted a paper to the Institution of Civil Engineers on the Bridge at Tullow in 1842 (Proc. ICE, II, p. 165). He stated that the bridge was dangerously steep. In addition, he stated that it had a very narrow roadway of only 18 feet wide and that the approaches to the bridge were awkwardly aligned. Forth stated that he had designed a new superstructure for the bridge using flat

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 6 segmental arches which reduced the gradients on the bridge deck (see plan drawing on Figure 4 below). He had added abutments on the upstream side and increased the width of the road to 28 feet. Forth stated that floods on the river “forbade and diminution of the waterway”. On the newly designed crossing there were three new arch rings, one of which had a radius of 60 feet, a span of 17 feet and a rise of 7 inches, which meant that it was extremely flat. Forth reported that the total cost of the alterations was £487-10s2. He also tested the bridge with loaded carts of 35 cwt3.

Figure 4: Engineer Charles Forth’s plan drawing for the replacement bridge built in Tullow in the 1840s4. The arrangement of the south-western most span of the bridge which is presently a rather complex culvert feature rather than a clear span presumably came later than the original structure as per the drawing above but evidence for this alteration was not uncovered during the limited research conducted for this document. The brewery marked on the above plan was located where the c.2005 Credit Union building is now and the building which housed Murphy’s Inn, later the Bridge Hotel is still extant on Abbey Street just south of the bridge.

The bridge failed to carry the flood of 1963 when the nearby houses and hotel were flooded to a depth of 6’.

The bridge was strengthened by Carlow County Council in the 1980's5. The bridge to- day has three uniform piers and four spans and it would appear that the whole superstructure from the foundation up was replaced in the 1840s.6

2 http://dia.ie/works/view/6649/building/CO.+CARLOW%2C+TULLOW%2C+BRIDGE 3 http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/architecture/architecture-in-co.-carlo/towns-and-villages- tullow/tullow-bridge/ 4 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlcar2/tullow_town.htm 5 O’Donoghue (2007) 6 O’Keeffe and Simington (1991)

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 7

Figure 5: Historic photograph of south-eastern downstream elevation of Slaney Bridge presumably from the early twentieth-century7. Compare with Plate 1 in photographic record. South-west side elevation of former Methodist Church originally constructed in the 1860s (changed from use as a church in 1982 and presently housing Tullow Museum) visible to right of photograph.

Figure 6: Historic photograph of part of south-eastern downstream elevation of Slaney Bridge and Bridge Street beyond taken c.19008. Compare with Plate 12 in photographic record

7 http://www.myhometown.ie/31/The_Bridge,_Tullow/5352.html 8 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlcar2/Bridge_St_Tullow_1900.jpg

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 8

Figure 7: Historic photograph of part of former Bridge Hotel (building still extant) and part of south- western parapet wall of Slaney Bridge taken c.19009. Compare with inappropriate modern pointing of parapet masonry seen in Plate 10 within photographic record.

Figure 8 Extract from the second edition Ordnance Survey map of the Slaney Bridge surveyed in 1906 showing the three-pier structure as it appears up to the present day. (Reproduced under Ordnance Survey Ireland Licence No. SU 0003317)

9 http://historicalpicturearchive.com/product/cr-00112/

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 9

Figure 9: Historic photograph of north-western upstream elevation of Slaney Bridge presumably from the mid twentieth-century10 but prior to the c.2005 construction of the present Credit Union building and Civic Offices in place of the former J. Manzer shop premises and other terraced structures visible on the north-east bank of the river. Compare with Plate 3 in photographic record.

10 http://www.myhometown.ie/31/The_Bridge,_Tullow/5352.html

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 10 3. Description of the site

The road deck of the subject bridge is aligned between the junction of Abbey Street and Thomas Traynor Road to the south-west (Plate 5) and Bridge Street (Plate 15) on the north-east. It comprises a four-arch ashlar granite road-bridge over the River Slaney (Plates 1 & 3) on the N81 approximately 175m south-west of the Market Square in Tullow, on the border between Tullowbeg and Tullowphelim townlands. The original date of construction of the present bridge is deduced to be c.1842 and the engineer responsible for its design is believed to be the Carlow County Surveyor of that time, Charles Gerrard Forth (1808-1846). It is built in grey ashlar granite (with cement-rich strap pointing throughout (Plate 10 & 19)) to the spandrel walls, piers and abutments with coursed rubble granite to the later parapet extensions (Plates 8, 14 & 17) and to the underground elements of the flood-level culverts (Plate 24) behind the south-west abutment of the bridge. The ashlar granite parapet walls rise off a slightly projecting string course (Plate 12 & 18) on both the upstream and downstream elevations which follows the line of the four arch crowns. The parapets are capped with heavy, rectangular granite coping stones which have rounded top edges and project slightly over the outside of the parapet walls. Over each of the piers there is a slightly projecting section of ashlar granite framing recessed panels up to the height of the parapet capping (Plate 21). Cutwaters on the upstream side of the bridge are pointed on plan while those on the downstream side are triangular on plan (Plate 13). Both were contemporary features of the original piers and are capped with shallow- sloped cut granite cap stones. All the arch soffits, which have large block-and-start granite voussoirs on the elevations, appear to have roughly squared or cut arch stones but have been shotcreted with a richly cement-based coating in recent decades (Plate 22). The road deck and its flanking concrete pedestrian pavements is hard-surfaced up to the base of the parapet walls and there is an Ordnance Survey benchmark carved on the interior of the parapet wall on the downstream elevation of the bridge (Plate 16). There are electrical cables held on steel brackets, formerly used to carry a water main, just below the projecting string course on the downstream elevation of the bridge (Plate 13). A number of currently operational as well as disused lamp standards (Plate 11), flower basket brackets and other proprietary anchor bolts are fixed on the parapet capping stones along with smaller screwed-on ducts for cabling on both elevations of the bridge.

The flood-level culverts (Plate 23) beneath the south-western abutment have curved walls into and out (Plate 9) of a central rectangular chamber. The culvert walls are built of a mixture of squared and ashlar granite with pointed ends facing the oncoming flow of water and are roofed over with rubble stone lintels (Plate 24). The central chamber (Plate 25) has a shotcreted ceiling and a south-western wall built or reinforced in recent years with cast concrete. Its north-eastern wall is formed by the original ashlar granite pier of the bridge. The floor of the culvert system is lined with concrete and there is a main drainage duct running along the floor of the outermost passage.

Appraisal The proximity of medieval sites such as the nearby Abbey and the site of the former castle beyond the present town centre reinforces the understanding that there has

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 11 been a crossing point at this general location on the Slaney for a considerable length of time with documentary evidence of a stone bridge in place here since before 1680 when the existing stone bridge was repaired11.

The present bridge seems to have been a complete replacement of an earlier 1747- structure. The bridge was built in the 1840s and for a crossing over 170 years old, it appears to be in remarkably good condition thanks mostly to its good initial design and subsequent maintenance. The bridge is of simple geometric and sturdy yet elegant design with the use of a small palette of materials principally granite, which provide a composition of some sophistication. Apart from the functional grace of the structure as an architectural piece, the quality of its expertly cut granite masonry, having very fine joints is notable. Notwithstanding the inappropriate cement-based strap pointing applied to the original elegantly fine ashlar joints, the apparently excellent structural condition of this structure is a testament to the high standard of its design and construction as well as the durability of its component materials. Visual interference and minor material damage has been caused by attachment of items of street-lighting, flower baskets and service ducting to the parapet and elevations (mostly since the mid twentieth-century) but the most significant aspects of this damage are largely reversible. The structure retains much of its architectural and historic significance and its aesthetic contribution to the surrounding area is also considerable.

11 Shirley E.P. (1862/3)

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 12 4. Assessment of proposed development

It is proposed to widen the total carriageway for vehicles on the bridge by approximately 1.9m through removing the existing concrete footpaths from the bridge deck and constructing pedestrian crossings on both sides of the bridge by fixing new footbridges to the existing cutwaters and abutments linking the pavements of Bridge Street with those on Abbey Street and Thomas Traynor Road. The planned footbridges will be supported by a structure anchored to the core of the bridge piers beneath the cap stones of each of the three cutwaters on each side of the crossing. There will be no contact between the proposed footbridges and the elevations of the bridge and all existing electrical ducts and water mains fixed onto the bridge elevations or buried beneath the current road deck will be incorporated into the structure of the new footbridges. Sections of the original parapet walls or later extensions to these will be removed to allow access to the new footbridges and a pre-cast concrete high containment kerb will be installed at the base of the parapet walls at the edge of the new roadway.

The project design has been subject to revisions to take account of issues such as road safety, accessibility and heritage conservation. The project designers have taken account of advice provided by the authors of this report and have modified their proposals to take account of identified potential built heritage impacts. The modified design will involve less original parapet to be removed particularly on Thomas Traynor Street corner where original curved parapet corner will be retained. The curved corner to the new wall around the outside museum building at the north-eastern corner of the bridge is a significant improvement on the previously-proposed hard angle and better responds to historic curved corners on original parapet masonry; the proposal is sympathetic to the bridge and the setting of the museum (the former Methodist Church).

The following table summarises the principal works proposed as part of this project and assesses the potential impact these proposals may have on the structure’s built heritage significance. Some possible mitigation measures to reduce the potential impacts on the historic bridge are outlined also:

Proposed works Built heritage impact Mitigation measures 1 Removal of sections of Acceptable impact on The designers have ashlar and rubble original ashlar and adjusted their original granite parapet walls at rubble granite parapet proposals so as to four corners of bridge to structure. minimise the loss of allow access from original masonry existing street Neutral impact from pavements to proposed removal of existing The modified design will footbridges modern rubble parapet involve less original extension to north-east parapet to be removed corner of bridge. particularly on Thomas Traynor Street corner where original curved

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 13 Proposed works Built heritage impact Mitigation measures parapet corner will be retained.

2 Installation of steel Potential for visual The designers have footbridge structures on impact from cluttering adjusted their proposals both elevations of bridge and obscuring views of so that the line of the supported on existing original architectural deck of the footbridge bridge abutments and elevational detail. now follows the line of cutwaters string course and Structural supports on parapet of masonry cutwaters will involve bridge with equal height removal of existing of chamfered string- ashlar cap stones, fixing course proposed to be of bridge supports to visible above deck of pier core and footpath as a plinth to reinstatement of cap the masonry parapet stones around support wall. struts with creation of necessary holes in the Care should be taken stones. This will be an not to damage historic irreversible alteration granite cap-stones which will have a during their removal, negative impact on the storage and historic fabric of the reinstallation and any bridge. alterations to allow support structure to pass through the cap stones should be carefully undertaken to ensure only the minimum loss of original cut stone.

3 Incorporation of existing Positive impact through Proposal drawings do ducting underneath removal of existing not specify this; but bridge deck and cabling and former water removal of all services attached to bridge main brackets including ducting, flower- elevations into structure particularly on basket brackets and of proposed new downstream elevation lighting standards which footbridges could be incorporated onto proposed footbridge structure would be a positive development. Existing damaging fixings on the historic bridge could be removed and made good.

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 14 Proposed works Built heritage impact Mitigation measures 4 Installation of high Potential minor negative Pre-cast nature of containment concrete impact through covering proposed kerb negates kerbs on proposed historic carved OS the need to pour a kerb widened road benchmark on inside of in situ so it can be a carriageway downstream parapet potentially reversible wall. feature that if removed at a later date will not cause any damage to the historic parapet masonry or the carved benchmark. If possible, localised adjustment to kerb to be considered so as allow the OS benchmark to remain visible.

In general, the conservation principle of applying a standard of finish on any masonry interventions that reflects the high quality of craftsmanship exhibited on the original structure should be observed. There are several examples of where this principle was not adhered to in the course of previous works to the detriment of the structure and causing the diminution of its architectural and historic character.

The following additional conservation principles will help to mitigate any potential built heritage impacts in the course of design, construction and ongoing maintenance of this historic bridge:

• Full recording of the structure before, during and after works. Photographic recording and measured drawings are important to document the existing fabric, to provide a reference for necessary reconstruction of any element of the bridge and to inform others of the unknown nature and sensitivities of undertaking interventions like this on such structures. • Use appropriate, compatible materials for carrying out any repairs. Generally, this will relate to use of a suitable matching stone for any masonry repairs and suitable lime mortar to provide the necessary strength, flexibility, porosity and appearance. • Ensure reversibility of interventions on the structure in order to retain as much historic fabric intact as possible. This approach also stores up less potential damage for the future maintenance or development works on the site that may be based on a change in structural requirements of the bridge in years to come or on new improved understanding about how to better address the needs of the users of the bridge with its long term sustainable survival. • Only appropriately skilled and experienced craftspersons will be engaged to work on a structure like this. A proven record of the contractor’s satisfactory experience in working with such historically and architecturally sensitive sites should be sought by whoever awards the proposed works to.

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 15 • The works programme should allow for the making good of voids where previous fixings on the bridge to hold light standards or water main ducts have caused damage to masonry or mortar joints

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 16 5. Conclusions

The proposed development of the Slaney Bridge in Tullow represents a significant but necessary intervention on the historic structure which has functioned successfully (by all available accounts) for approximately 170 years. The provision of new pedestrian facilities on the structure is being undertaken to widen the available space on the crossing for road vehicles while providing a safe means of communication from footpaths on Bridge Street to those on Abbey Street and Thomas Traynor Road to the south.

The proposed development of a pedestrian footbridge outside the parapet walls has become an almost standard solution to providing greater width for a bridge carriageway allowing minimal intervention to the original structure and the provision of (as in this case) an elegant contemporary footbridge is in accordance with good conservation practice.

By constructing a new footbridge structure supported by anchors on the massive masonry piers which carry the bridge, the minimal possible intervention on the historic structure will be ensured; aside from the three fixings onto cutwaters at the end of each pier, the planned footbridges will not contact the bridge and as such will be a relatively reversible addition to it. The removal of a certain amount of the parapet masonry to provide access to the footbridges will be necessary and this loss of original architectural fabric will have a minor negative impact on the structure’s historic character. The loss of historic fabric can only be justified as a means to ensuring the continued use of the bridge as it was intended – as a crossing on a principal road route – with the necessary alterations to address the increased size and volume of vehicular traffic since the time when the bridge was originally constructed.

We commend the project designers for taking account of the following advice provided following a review of preliminary drawings: • The floor of the footbridge should follow and/or line up with the granite stringcourse (as far as possible and feasible) • The top of the hand rail should follow the line of the parapet where this complies with Building Regulations for guarding. • The new stonework at the end of the footbridges should be contemporary but match the existing for example finished smooth or polished.

The revised proposals have: • Reduced the amount of original walling to a minimum (it is note that on Thomas Traynor Street corner the original curved parapet corner will be retained). • Horizontal footbridge lines now follow line of string course and parapet of masonry bridge with equal height of chamfered string-course proposed to be visible above deck of footpath as a plinth to the masonry parapet wall. • Curved corner to proposed new wall around steps outside museum building is an improvement on previous angle and better responds to historic curved corners on original parapet masonry

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 17

6. References

Bradley, J. and King, H.A. (1990) Urban archaeological survey - county Carlow. Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin Brindley, A & Kilfeather, A (ed.) (1993) Archaeological Inventory of County Carlow. The Stationery Office, Dublin Cox, R. & Gould, M. (2003) Ireland’s Bridges. Wolfhound Press Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R. (1970) Medieval Religious Houses: Ireland. Longmans Lewis, S. (1837) Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. 2 Volumes, Lewis & Company, London O’Donoghue, B. (2007) The Irish County Surveyors 1834-1944, Four Courts Press, Dublin O’Keeffe, P & Simington, T. (1991) Irish Stone Bridges: History and Heritage. Irish Academic Press Ryan, J. (1833) The History and Antiquities of the County of Carlow. Richard Moore Tims, Dublin Scott, A.B. and Martin, F.X. (eds) (1978) Expugnatio Hibernica: the conquest of Ireland by Giraldus Cambrensis. A new history of Ireland, ancillary publications. Royal Irish Academy, Dublin Shirley, E (1862/3) Extracts from the Journal of Thomas Dinley. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, IV

Websites Consulted

www.archaeology.ie www.askaboutireland.ie www.dia.ie www.logainm.ie http://www.myhometown.ie http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/ www.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 18 Appendix: Photographic Record

Plate 1 South-eastern downstream elevation of Slaney Bridge in Tullow from footpath on south-west bank of river. Tullow Museum in former Methodist Church is visible beyond bridge to right of photograph. Compare with historic photograph in figure 6 within main body of this document

Plate 2 South-eastern downstream elevation of bridge from footpath on north-east bank of Slaney River. Riverside footpath in foreground was extended further into the river channel c.2000

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 19

Plate 3 North-western upstream elevation of Slaney Bridge with former Bridge Hotel building visible beyond bridge to right of photograph. Compare with historic photograph in figure 10 within main body of this document

Plate 4 View towards bridge from Thomas Traynor Road to west. Proposed works will see removal of a section of the parapet masonry at this corner (approximately within the white dotted line on the photograph above) to provide access to the planned pedestrian walkway and to replace the existing rounded corner with a chamfered masonry wall set further back from the roadway

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 20

Plate 5 View of Slaney Bridge from Abbey Street. Proposed works will see a section of the existing granite masonry parapet removed (approximately where the white dotted line above indicates).

Plate 6 Road deck of Slaney Bridge in Tullow from south-west end looking towards Bridge Street and beyond to the Market Square. Proposed works will see carriage ways widened by approximately 1.9metres following removal of existing footpaths and installation of concrete high containment kerbs at the base of the parapet walls. No stone kerb stones or other fabric of built heritage significance exists on the road deck so alterations here will have no negative impact on the structure.

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 21

Plate 7 Installation of flood-gate to late twentieth-century inserted opening at southern end of down- stream parapet wall. Lime mortar only should be used in any re-pointing works to the granite masonry of this structure.

Plate 8 Concrete block-built manhole chamber with expanded metal ties to hold previously planned stone facing that was not applied. This entire concrete drainage installation detracts visually from the architectural significance of the historic bridge and causes physical obstruction to culverts here designed to provide flood relief.

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 22

Plate 9 Detail of flood-level culverts on downstream elevation of bridge at southern corner. Note obstruction caused by late twentieth-century riverside walk construction and drainage infrastructure.

Plate 10 Cement-based strap pointing to main parapet wall on bridge at southern part of structure. Compare with appearance of masonry in historic photograph in Figure 7 within main body of report. Such use of inappropriate material and finish detracts visually from the historic bridge, reduces the necessary flexibility of the structure placing individual stones under undue stress with a risk of shearing or cracking and restricts the required escape of water from the structure through what should be porous mortar joints.

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 23

Plate 11 Multiple phases of public lighting and other phases of fixtures to the bridge. These have been added on an ad hoc basis over recent decades with little though given to the suitability or reversibility of fixings drilled into the granite coping stones or on the elevations of the bridge. The proposed cantilevered footbridges on the outside of each parapet wall should incorporate any necessary lighting standards to prevent further damage to the masonry structure and efforts should be made to make good the existing multiple holes in stone blocks. All ducting and communication services are proposed to be routed within the planned footbridges thereby removing the need for any further fixings onto the historic stonework.

Plate 12 North-eastern end of down-stream elevation. Steel brackets driven into masonry to carry previous water main duct are proposed to be carefully removed and the sockets made good as planned new footbridge will incorporate all service ducting within its structure, removing ducts from beneath the existing concrete footpaths and negating the need to fix any further items to the bridge masonry. Proposed works will see partial removal of coursed rubble granite wall to right of

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 24 photograph to provide footbridge access onto Bridge Street. This stonework dates to c.2005 and is of not historic or architectural heritage value.

Plate 13 Triangular north-east cutwater on downstream side from north-east bank. Proposed cantilevered footbridge will be supported on these projecting cutwaters and the bridge abutments on both sides with no connection to the bridge elevations or parapet walls. Footbridge supports are proposed to be fixed onto the core of the pier structure with the two cap-stones which presently form the pointed top of the cutwaters re-laid over the anchor points.

Slaney Bridge, Tullow, Co. Carlow Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment | 25

Plate 14 Proposed footbridge will link to existing footpath through a new opening in the existing masonry wall here. No historic or architecturally significant material will be lost as a result of this intervention.

Plate 15 View to south-west over bridge deck from Bridge Street

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Plate 16 Mid nineteenth-century bench mark carved in place on the inside of the downstream parapet wall by the Ordnance Survey and noted on the 1906 survey of the town in Figure 8 above.

Plate 17 Existing parapet granite masonry proposed to be truncated back to ashlar pier at northern corner of original bridge visible above, to enable access to the planned new footbridge from the pavement on Bridge Street.

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Plate 18 Proposed cantilevered footbridge supported on existing bridge abutments and three cutwaters on upstream north-western elevation of Slaney Bridge. Rubble masonry wall in foreground proposed to be relocated approximately two metres to the north-west to accommodate new steps from planned footbridge down to existing riverside walk.

Plate 19 Existing ashlar granite parapet on upstream side of bridge with inappropriate cement-based pointing which has not respected the fine joints between stones and has contributed to accelerating decay of individual stones by forcing moisture to escape from the stone surface rather than porous mortar joints.

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Plate 20 Upstream elevation of Slaney Bridge from Thomas Traynor Road showing where proposed footbridge will be supported on projecting cutwaters and relocation of the steps and rubble granite walls on the opposite bank of the river will enable continued pedestrian access from Bridge Street and the new footbridge onto the north-eastern riverside walkway.

Plate 21 Detail of upstream side of southwest-most pier and pointed cutwater within the river channel.

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Plate 22 “Shotcreted” soffit of south-west arch barrel looking downstream. No significant bridge deck drainage issues were evident during the cursory built-heritage assessment of the bridge carried out as part of survey for the present report.

Plate 23 Upstream openings of curved culvert arrangement providing flood-level drainage beneath south-western abutment of bridge beneath Abbey Street.

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Plate 24 Existing granite-built flood-relief culvert to south-west end of Slaney Bridge from upstream opening showing main drainage duct which was placed here in recent years.

Plate 25 Interior of flood-relief culvert beneath Abbey Street with ashlar granite pier to left of photograph and recently reinforced cast concrete south-western side wall to culvert on right.

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