Survey Data
Reg No
11816026
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Historical, Social, Technical
Original Use
Bridge
In Use As
Bridge
Date
1845 - 1850
Coordinates
262574, 210875
Date Recorded
30/05/2002
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Three-span railway viaduct over canal and road, built 1847, with rock-faced limestone ashlar piers and cast-iron girder spans. Coursed rock-faced limestone ashlar tapered piers with moulded coping (having panels over to end piers to north-east and to south-west). Limestone ashlar flanking walls to north-east and to south-west with cut-stone coping. Three flat spans with riveted cast-iron girders to each span on concrete pillow bed. Cast-iron deck over continuing into flanking foot deck with iron railings. Sited spanning Grand Canal (Athy Branch) and road to south-east.
Appraisal
This bridge is a fine and imposing structure built as part of the Great South and Western Railway line, forming an attractive feature on the line, and is one of a group of bridges on the section of that railway line that passes through County Kildare. The construction of the spans in cast-iron is of technical and engineering merit. The bridge exhibits good quality stone masonry and fine, crisp joints, particularly to the tapered piers, which is a good example of the high quality of stone masonry practised in the locality. The bridge is of considerable historical and social significance as a reminder of the railway network development in Ireland, which brought about many technical advances and developed commercial activity in the mid to late nineteenth century.