By Dan Walsh
The character and stonework at Wilton Bridge, linking the parishes of Bree and Davidstown over the River Boro, has been retained and flood damage repaired by Wexford County Council and the road and bridge re-opened for traffic this morning.
Wilton Bridge was wrecked and has been closed to traffic since the Christmas Day inundation in 2021.
Speaking exclusively to WexfordLocal.com at last Monday’s meeting of Wexford County Council, Eamonn Hore, Director of Services, said the restoration of the bridge has taken a bit longer than anticipated; “We retained the five stone arches as a feature instead of having just a flat concrete structure as a replacement. It is an historic bridge and this is what the locals preferred, so while it took a longer time to complete, it has retained its five arch appearance and the local community are pleased by this.”
The bridge was originally a narrow passageway to facilitate horse drawn carriages serving nearby Wilton Castle. A local resident told WexfordLocal.com that the bridge was washed away in the floods of 1947, and it happened on St. Patrick’s Day. It was rebuilt, but it has been getting attention over the years and there was a recent investment of almost €50,000!
This is not the first time that Wilton has been in the news. The Furlongs and the Butlers were there since 1247. The Alcock family arrived in 1695, the castle was burned in 1923, and today, the windows are once again illuminated as Wilton Castle is a tourism accommodation facility.
News of the bridge reopening is welcome as it caused almost two years of major inconvenience to local landowners and commuters between Davidstown and Bree, but it is much appreciated locally that the arches are retained in the refurbishment and the ancient character of an historical place in the modern environment has survived. A good news story in the end!
WexfordLocal.com 