bridge

Three-arch rubble stone road bridge over river, c.1780, with triangular cut-waters, rubble stone voussoirs, buttress to south-west and single-arch pedestrian underpass to south-east with cut-stone voussoirs. Rubble stone walls. Rubble stone triangular cut-waters. Cut-stone buttress to south-west. Rubble stone parapet wall with rubble stone coping. Four segmental arches (including pedestrian underpass to south-east). Rubble stone voussoirs (cut-stone to pedestrian underpass). Rubble stone soffits with render over. Replacement iron gate, c.1985, to pedestrian underpass. Sited spanning Slate River with grass bank to north-west and gravel tow path to bank to south-east.

This bridge is a fine rubble stone bridge that forms an imposing feature on the Slate River and is one of a small group of bridges on the section of that river that passes through County Kildare – the bridge forms the approach road in to Rathangan from the south-east, leading in to Market Square. The construction of the arches that have retained their original shape is of technical and engineering merit. The bridge exhibits good quality traditional stone masonry. The bridge is of considerable historical and social significance as a reminder of the road network development in Ireland in the late eighteenth century. An unusual feature is the pedestrian underpass to south-east, which retains its original form and which is demarcated from the arches spanning the river by a stout buttress pier.