Cullion Bridge

Single-arched bridge carrying road over small unnamed stream flowing into the River Swilly to the north, built 1800 and altered\rebuilt c. 1860. Segmental-headed arch with roughly dressed stone voussoirs; squared rubble stone construction to arch barrel. Squared and rubble stone construction to spandrels and abutments. Side elevations largely obscured by vegetation. Rubble stone construction to parapets with rubble stone coping over; modern repairs in places. Tarmacadam deck with grass verges. Located in the rural countryside to the south-east of Letterkenny.

This impressive single-arch bridge spans a high ravine over a small unnamed tributary of the River Swilly. Although the side elevations are largely obscured by vegetation making identification difficult, this bridge appears to date to c. 1800 but was later modified during the mid-nineteenth century. It is robustly-constructed in local squared 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 single tall graceful arch with well-crafted voussoirs creates an attractive composition of some appeal. This bridge was probably originally constructed during the very late-eighteenth century or the first decades of the nineteenth century, a period that saw a great deal of road and bridge-building in Ireland, particularly by the Grand Juries (the forerunners of the County Councils). This rustic bridge is an addition to both the built heritage of the local area and to the extensive transport heritage of County Donegal, and is an attractive feature in the landscape to the south-east of Letterkenny.