viaduct

Triple-span cast-iron girder viaduct, built c. 1880, comprising cross-braced girder construction springing from tapered cross-braced cast-iron piers with support trusses mounted on rusticated limestone plinths. Snecked battered rusticated limestone abutments to sides (north, south) having piers with rusticated limestone coping and stringcourses. Angle-iron beams forming railing flanking girders with recent galvanised mesh panels. Cast-iron tie beam linking girders beneath recent galvanised mesh panels forming deck, c. 2009.

This impressive cast-iron viaduct is a fine nineteenth-century engineering achievement and is one of the architectural highlights of south County Limerick. Spanning a broad interruption within the railway embankment, this cast-iron viaduct provided a more economical means of bridging the gap than a more traditional stone built bridge might have done. Rusticated limestone abutments not only provide structural stability, but also make a significant contribution to the visual appeal of the viaduct. Recently restored, the viaduct is an integral part of the Southern Trail, a leisure track using the route of the trains stretching some 53 miles, providing an important amenity to not only the local community but also in promoting tourism within the area.