bridge

Triple-arch road bridge, built c. 1790, carrying road over the Ballintra River. Segmental-headed arches having roughly dressed stone voussoirs and squared rubble stone construction to the arch barrels. Squared rubble stone V-profile cutwaters to piers to both sides (north and south). Rubble stone construction to spandrels, piers and parapets. Cement rendered coping to parapets. Tarmacadam deck. Located a short distance to the south-east of the centre of Ballintra.

This simple but attractive rustic bridge retains its early form and character, and its continued survival and use stands as testament to the quality of its original construction, and of the skill of the masons involved. This bridge was probably originally constructed during the late-eighteenth or early-nineteenth century, a period which saw a great deal of road and bridge-building in Ireland, particularly by the Grand Juries (the forerunners of the County Councils). This bridge is an appealing feature in the rural landscape to the south-east of Ballintra, and is an integral element of the built and engineering heritage of the local area.