Bridge, Clogherane, Co. Kerry

Co. Kerry |

Bridges & Crossings

Bridge, Clogherane, Co. Kerry

There is a particular kind of rural Irish bridge that does its job so quietly it almost disappears into the landscape.

The road bridge at Clogherane in County Kerry is one such structure. Crossing the Ahadav River along a northwest to southeast axis, it measures 6.2 metres wide and carries its road over the water on a single semicircular arch spanning 3 metres, a form that concentrates the load through wedge-shaped stones known as voussoirs, here left large and only roughly dressed, giving the whole thing a workmanlike solidity rather than any pretence at elegance.

Built sometime in the mid to late nineteenth century, the bridge is constructed from random rubble, meaning stones of varying sizes laid without regular coursing, though worked enough to sit together with reasonable stability. This was the ordinary vocabulary of rural construction in the period, utilitarian and local, relying on the skill of the mason to make do with whatever the surrounding land offered. Such bridges multiplied across Ireland during and after the Famine era, as road improvement schemes pushed routes into areas that had previously been poorly served, and the Ahadav crossing at Clogherane fits neatly into that broader pattern of nineteenth-century infrastructure quietly stitching together remote parts of Kerry.

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, Clogherane, 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