The longest bridge in Ireland will be named after Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy

Members of the Piltown Municipal District and the New Ross District met in South Kilkenny this afternoon to vote on the name of the new bridge which which traverse the River Barrow.

The bridge, which is part of the New Ross bypass and will be completed next year, is 900 metres in length, making it the longest bridge in Ireland.

There was a public consultation period earlier this year both in Kilkenny and Wexford and a decision was made in the two electoral areas on a proposed name.

Members of the Piltown Municipal District put forward the proposed name of the Pink Rock Bridge while their counterparts in New Ross suggested the name the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge.

A vote was taken this afternoon at the Rhu Glen Hotel in Slieverue with eight councillors voting in favour of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge and six in favour of the Pink Rock Bridge. 

Rose  Fitzgerald Kennedy, was an American philanthropist, socialite, and the matriarch of the Kennedy family while the Pink Rock is the traditional name for the area because of the hue of the local rock on the Kilkenny side of the River Barrow.

Members of the Piltown Municipal who voted in favour of the proposed name the Pink Road Bridge were Cllr Fidelis Doherty, Cllr Pat Dunphy, Cllr Eamon Alyward, Cllr Tomas Breatnach, Cllr Ger Frisby while Cllr Melissa O'Neill voted in favour of the name of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge.