A broad and elegantly-composed bridge, which forms an attractive
and imposing landmark in the centre of Athlone. The construction
in ashlar limestone attests to high quality stone masonry. This
bridge was built by the Shannon Navigation Company between 1841-45
to replace the bridge built by Sir Henry Sidney in 1566. The
contractor responsible for the new bridge was John McMahon.
The original swivel section to the west end of the bridge was
constructed to allow the passage of steam boats and was intended
to help Athlone develop into a major inland port. This never
happened due to a number of factors, most notably the development
of the railway network in the early 1850s. The swivel bridge
serving Shannon Navigation, was replaced by a fixed flat-headed
arch constructed of reinforced concrete with an cast-iron balustrade
in 1963. Channelled ashlar limestone walls with solid parapets
to either end of bridge and a wide round-headed pedestrian underpass
with projecting voussoirs to western side.
A plaque at the centre of bridge records the date of construction
and contractors/engineers responsible. This bridge is an interesting
monument to commercial ambition and to technological development
in Athlone during the mid nineteenth-century.
Athlone Architectural Heritage Group would like
to acknowledge the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
(NIAH) for their kind permission to use content from their website.
See: www.buildingsofireland.ie.
Back
|
