Bridge, Ballycullane, Co. Kerry

Co. Kerry |

Bridges & Crossings

Bridge, Ballycullane, Co. Kerry

A small humpback bridge over the Ballycullane Stream in County Kerry rewards close attention in a way that its modest scale might not immediately suggest.

The riverbed beneath its arches and continuing downstream has been deliberately paved with stone, a detail easy to overlook from above but indicative of the practical care that went into its construction. This kind of bed paving was laid to resist scour, the erosive force of water channelled under a bridge, and it speaks to builders who understood what moving water could quietly do to a foundation over time.

The bridge is built of random rubble sandstone and carries a road running roughly north to south, spanning just under five and a half metres in width. Its two segmental arches, each with a span of approximately two and three quarter metres, are formed with roughly shaped voussoirs, the wedge-cut stones that lock an arch together under compression. The parapets are finished with vertical stone coping along their tops. On the eastern side of the bridge, a disused access road once ran down to the north bank of the stream, now closed off and overgrown, a small ghost of whatever traffic or maintenance routine once made that approach necessary.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Bridge, Ballycullane, Co. Kerry. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement