Lough Rath Bridge

Double-arched bridge carrying road over unnamed stream/tributary of the Ballintra River flowing into Rath Lough to the west, built c. 1860, having V-profile cut stone cutwater to central pier. Round-headed arches having rock-faced sandstone voussoirs with drafted margins; squared rubble sandstone construction to arch barrels. Squared and coursed rubble sandstone stone construction to spandrels, pier and abutments; squared rubble stone parapets having mildly rock-faced squared sandstone coping over. Squared rubble stone wing walls to either side. Tarmacadam deck with grass verges. Located to south-east of Ballintra.

This appealing and well-built bridge retains its early character and form, and is a feature of some picturesque merit in the scenic rural landscape to the south-east of Ballintra. It is robustly-constructed in good-quality squared local rubble sandstone 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 arches and the rock-faced coping over the parapets are features 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. It replaced an earlier multiple-arch bridge at this location (Ordnance Survey first edition six-inch map of c. 1837). This bridge is one of the better surviving examples of its type in Donegal, and is an integral element of the extensive built and transport heritage of south County Donegal.