Bridge, Cuhig, Co. Kerry
Co. Kerry |
Bridges & Crossings
A small road bridge in Cuhig, County Kerry, carries a certain quiet distinctiveness in its stonework that rewards a closer look.
Spanning the Glashananinnaun Stream on an east-west axis and measuring just over five metres in width, it is built from random rubble sandstone, the kind of construction where stones are laid without regular courses, giving the surface a rough, unplanned appearance that is typical of vernacular rural bridgework. What sets it apart is a detail in its single segmental arch: the voussoirs, the wedge-shaped stones that form the curved arch, are not flush. Every alternate one projects slightly beyond the face of the bridge, creating a subtle but deliberate rhythm along the arch ring that suggests a builder with a particular idea in mind.
The bridge has not come through the years entirely unaltered. The upstream, southern side appears to have been extended at some point and is now covered in concrete, obscuring whatever original fabric may lie beneath. The northern parapet survives in better condition, retaining its vertical stone coping, with the ends curving gently away from the road in a characteristic flourish that softens the transition between bridge and carriageway. Below, on the downstream side, two rock-cut steps form a small cascade in the streambed. These steps appear to be manmade, cut directly into the rock, and their purpose is not entirely clear, though they would have altered the flow of water in a controlled way, perhaps for practical use at some point in the bridge's working life.