Future of Ennisnag Bridge secured by conservation works

Pictured Above: At the official reopening of the Old Ennisnag Road Bridge by Minister Malcolm Noonan were: Joe Whyte, Stoneyford Development Association; Alan Burnett, Contractor; Kevin Collins, Director Kingsriver Community; Brendan Murrin; Pat Phelan; Minister Malcolm Noonan; Donie Sheridan; Cllr Deirdre Cullen; Paddy O’Dwyer; Aoife Howard, David Kelly Partnership; Michael Fennelly; Eddie Walsh and Francis Coady, Conservation Officer, Kilkenny County Council PICTURE: HARRY REID

A medieval bridge in the heart of rural Kilkenny has been given a new lease of life.
Ennisnag Bridge, near Stoneyford, is reputed to be the oldest bridge in Ireland that is still in use.

While this can’t strictly be proven with documentation, it does show up in the 1641 Down Survey. That was the stone bridge, still in situ today, and it may have been preceded by a wooden structure.

While it is very hard to prove it is the oldest bridge, it is an important structure on the road network of the area.
The first major work on the bridge was in 1763, when it was widened. Now, more than 250 years later, another major project has been completed.

In the 18th Century the widening works saw the bridge go from eight to 16 feet wide. It was a time when there was a lot of flooding in Kilkenny and the road systems were improving, so it was a natural time for the bridge to be expanded.

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According to Francis Coady, Architectural Conservation Officer with Kilkenny Co Council, you can still decipher the lines of both bridges, from the masonry underneath. (Not that he recommends getting into the river water in this weather!)
If you do happen to pass underneath the bridge you can also see the marks of the wicker centering from the medieval stone builders. This wicker centering was used as part of a wooden support structure that would have been taken away when the stone bridge was completed. Recesses in the pattern can be seen from the wicker. While it’s not something the casual passer-by will see, this distinguishes Ennisnag Bridge from others in the locality.

Interesting features
Crossing the bridge itself reveals some interesting features. At the crown of the bridge is a pedestrian refuge. A v-shaped stone recess, it’s where someone walking over the bridge could step in to allow the ‘traffic’ of the day pass by safely, and not be trampled.

The good news for Ennisnag Bridge is that recent works have secured it for many more generations.
Understandably, the bridge was showing signs of wear and tear, and this was noted in a conservation survey carried out by Kilkenny Co Council last year.

A conservation engineer examined the structure and the Co Council availed of conservation funding under the Historic Structures Fund.
This is a fund administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Local TD and Minister with responsibility for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan, was delighted to join with locals to mark the completion of the recent works.
Funds were also invested in the project from the local authority.

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Extensive work
“The work required was quite extensive,” Mr Coady said. The arch rings and barrels as well as the parapet walls all needed works.
The conservation survey had revealed that water was getting onto the verges of the bridge and leeching material from the masonry.
Work was carried out to seal the verges, and then the grass verges were reinstated.

“We have now secured the bridge for the long term,” Mr Coady explained, saying ‘they did as much as possible but as little as necessary’.
Traffic still crosses Ennisnag Bridge. That heavy, modern day traffic can still use the bridge is a testament to the solid, original construction, he added. “It’s still doing its job.”

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Mr Coady paid tribute to the local landowners who facilitated the work on the bridge. There’s a good community in the area who have been highlighting the need to carry out works on the bridge for a while. Some of the damage that had to be repaired can be seen in the photographs on this page.
Mr Coady predicts that a ‘big’ job like this won’t need to be carried out on Ennisnag Bridge for another 100 years!