Survey Data
Reg No
40842003
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Technical
Previous Name
Carrick Lower Bridge
Original Use
Bridge
In Use As
Bridge
Date
1820 - 1860
Coordinates
158480, 378210
Date Recorded
13/11/2007
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Single-arch road bridge over the Owenwee River, built c. 1800. Uncoursed rubble stone construction to spandrels; rubble stone construction to parapets having rubble stone coping over. Recent concrete blockwork repairs to the west end of parapet to the north. Round-headed arch having roughly dressed voussoirs; rubble stone construction to arch barrel. Concrete block supports carrying pipe to the north side of bridge. Located in the rural countryside to the south-west of An Charraig/Carrick. Located close to point where Owenwee River flows into Teelin Bay.
Appraisal
This fine picturesque bridge retains much of its early character, despite some insensitive modern alterations and repairs. It is robustly-constructed in local rubble stone masonry, and its continued survival and use stands as testament to the quality of its original construction, and of the skill of the masons involved. The tall round-headed arch is an attractive feature of some technical interest. This bridge probably originally dates to the late-eighteenth or early-nineteenth century, a period that saw a great deal of road and bridge-building in Ireland, particularly by the Grand Juries (the forerunners of the County Councils). This bridge may have been constructed by a local landowner to provide easy access to the harbour and pier at Teelin to the south. This appealing rustic bridge is an attractive feature in the rural landscape to the south-west of An Charraig/Carrick, and is an integral element of the built heritage of the local area.