Bridge, Gortdromakiery, Co. Kerry
Co. Kerry |
Bridges & Crossings
Spanning the Owgarriff River in County Kerry, this three-arched humpback bridge at Gortdromakiery is the kind of structure that gets crossed without being seen.
Its profile is modest, its stonework unshowy, yet the details repay a closer look. The bridge is built from random rubble sandstone, meaning the stones were laid without being cut to uniform shapes, a technique common in rural Irish construction that gives the structure its rough-hewn, almost organic appearance.
The bridge measures 5.55 metres in width and runs on a northeast to southwest axis across the river. Its three segmental arches, which are arches formed from a shallow curve rather than a full semicircle, vary in span, with the central arch being the largest at 4.82 metres. The voussoirs, the wedge-shaped stones that lock an arch in place and carry its load, are described as roughly shaped, suggesting the bridge was built by local hands working with locally sourced material rather than to any formal engineering specification. To the upstream face of the piers, two low pointed cutwaters have been added, reinforced with concrete, their function being to divide the river current and reduce pressure on the structure during periods of high flow. A more recently built causeway now extends to the west bank on the southern side, indicating that the crossing has been adapted over time to meet changing practical demands without the original bridge being replaced.