Clare Bridge

Single-arch road bridge over the Clare River, built c. 1860. Round-headed arch with rock-faced voussoirs with chiselled margins, and roughcast rendered soffit. Uncoursed rubble stone walls with rubble stone parapet with roughly crenulated rubble stone coping. Double carriageway to deck, paved with tarmacadam.

This appealing and well-built single-arched bridge retains its early character and form, and is a feature of some picturesque merit in the scenic rural landscape to the south-west of Moville. It is robustly-constructed in good-quality squared local rubble stone masonry, and its continued survival and use stands as testament to the quality of its original construction, and of the skill of the masons involved. The good-quality rock-faced voussoirs to the arch is a feature found at the many bridges that were built or altered by the Board of Works during the mid-to-late nineteenth century, and particularly between c. 1847 - 60, suggesting that this bridge may have been built or heavily altered around this time. If so, it replaced an earlier bridge at this location that was extant c. 1837 (Ordnance Survey six-inch first edition map). This fine bridge is an integral element of the extensive built and transport heritage of south County Donegal.