Monaster Bridge, County Limerick (LI031-009001-)

In gently undulating low-lying pasture, Monatser Bridge traverses the Camoge River, which also forms the townland boundary between Monaster North and South. An eel weir (LI031-009002-) lies 37m upriver to E. Depicted on the 17th century Down Survey map of Coshma braony as a bridge crossing over the ‘River Comoge’ (Hib. Reg.). Recorded in the 1655-58 Civil Survey of Limerick where it is described as 'in the Parish of Mounester Inenie aforesaid and allong the said River of Cumoge to the bridge of Monester Inenie South east and from thence leading along the heighway Eastwards between the lands of Rathmore in the Barronie of smale Countie' (Simington 1938, 370). Westropp (1919, 19) refers to this structure as ‘The Abbey bridge’ given its proximity to Monaster Abbey (LI031-050004-) which lies 200m to SE. According to Westropp (1920, 373) this bridge marks an earlier fording point known as ‘The Ford of the Chariots of Fergus’. Described in 1840 as 'a bridge with 5 arches' (OSNB Monasteranenagh Parish, 1366). Monaster Bridge (NIAH Reg. No. 21903105) described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage [NIAH] as a 'Five-arch stone road bridge, built c. 1750, over the River Camoge, and possibly containing earlier fabric. Segmental-arched openings with dressed limestone voussoirs. Rubble limestone spandrel walls having dressed copings to parapet walls. V-cutwaters encased in concrete to upstream elevation. Surveyed by the ASI in 2007 and described as a bridge (L 22m; Wth 5.2m) comprising of four semi-circular arches, that to S being slightly smaller than the other three and a fifth dry arch further to S. The arches, intrados and springings are constructed of roughly hewn voussoirs. The fifth (dry) arch (Wth 2.2m; H 1.3m) is set 7m to S and carries the approach road over an uneven and poorly drained floodplain at the S-end. It has been infilled with masonry on the W-side, which is obscured by dense ivy on the exterior and is not visible. The main arches are supported on three rubble stone piers the bases of which have rendered with concrete just above the waterline as a scour protection measure. The concrete bases have pointed cut-waters on the upriver side to E to match the stone piers above which have pointed cut-waters of square cut limestone. The parapet wall (T 0.34m; H 0.85m) is constructed of roughly hewn limestone and has a vertical coping. It is covered in ivy over the S arch and most of the approach wall on the W-side. Parts of the approach wall to S have been recently reconstructed. A turn in the approach road is evident where the stones of the bridge are merged into a field boundary wall. According to local information, the river was last dredged at this point in 1978. Monument is visible as a linear road bridge running N-S across the Camoge River on OSi aerial orthoimage taken 2005-2012, on Digital Globe orthoimage taken 2011-2013 and on Google Earth orthoimage taken 28/06/2018. See attached photographs taken by the ASI Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 27 October 2020