bridge, Monaghan

Single-arch sandstone road-over-railway bridge, built c.1860. Part of Portadown & Cavan branch of Ulster Railway. Elliptical arch with margined rock-faced voussoirs, parapets, abutments and plinths. Dressed rock facing to soffit, tooled squared rubble copings to parapets. Single carriageway track to deck. Bridge located to north-west of Monaghan town.

In addition to its functional role and aesthetic merit, this single-arch structure also demonstrates impressive engineering and skilled masonry techniques in the high-quality margin details to much of the sandstone used in the construction. Fitting well with its surrounding environment, the bridge represents the manner in which bridges were tailored into the surrounding rural landscape thus minimising the visual impact of such impressive structures at the dawn of the age of steam. The line was closed c.1957 and today, whilst the bridge is still used for the purpose of farm vehicles bridging the gorge where once a railway ran, this structure is a monument to a bygone era.