Shannon Bridge, County Westmeath

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What is recorded here

Six-span wrought-iron railway bridge, built c.1850, resting on six pairs of iron Doric shafts, with the two widest spans over the river having latticed elliptical girders. The piers at either end are constructed of rusticated limestone. Located to the north of Athlone Town…

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This handsome bridge is a magnificent statement of the great Victorian period of industrial expansion and of the age of Brunel. It is one of the best examples of its type and date to be found in Ireland. It was built by the Midland Great Western Railway Company to serve the Dublin Broadstone to Galway line, and opened in 1851. The engineer on the project was G.W. Hemans and Fox Henderson and Co. were the principal contractors involved. Compressed air was used when sinking the cylinders to form the piers, the first time such a technique was used in Ireland. The middle section was originally designed to open to allow the passing of river traffic along the Shannon Navigation. This was changed to a fixed section in 1972.

The story behind this place

Compressed air was used when sinking the cylinders to form the piers, the first time such a technique was used in Ireland.

From the Buildings of Ireland (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage) record 15004129

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Photo credits

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Dvcireland, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Oliver Dixon, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Pat Byrne, Geograph · Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0
Graham Horn, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Peter Gerken, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
PatWhelehan, Wikimedia Commons

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