By Dan Walsh at Wexford County Council meeting
For almost two centuries since 1844 Carrigmannon Bridge has facilitated road traffic from the days of the horse and cart to the modern era of electric cars and large trucks and its importance was raised at the November meeting of Wexford County Council.
During a debate on roads, Cllr Garry Laffan told the meeting that Carrigmannon Bridge was one of the highest bridges in the country and “needs funding and attention.”
There was a positive response from Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Roads Services, Eamonn Hore, who replied; “This is a lovely bridge, and we’ll get some funding for that!”
HISTORY and HERITAGE; On the R30 from Wexford towards Killurin, near the Glynn-Barntown GAA Club, a sharp 90-degree bend with stone walls conceals a sheer drop of over 120 feet to the Ballyvolleen waters below. This is Carrigmannon Bridge.
Built during the Famine years and at its time, it would have been one of the highest bridges in the country, the bridge was designed by James Barry Farrell, (1810-1893) born in Bristol in 1810 and in 1840 he took the position as the County Surveyor for County Wexford.
In the construction of this bridge, J. B. Farrell thankfully, had an impressive foresight and working with Mr Thomas Willis (builder), conspired to make the structure wide enough to carry two lanes of motorised traffic.
The magnificent Carrigmannon Bridge which is at the end of the Carrigmannon Woods leading from Glynn is a stone structure having three arches each of 50 feet span.
The structure spans a deep ravine along what was once known as the ‘Carlow road,’ reaching a central height of 120 feet. This was an impressive engineering feat for its era and continues to stand as a striking testament to skilled craftsmanship.
Mr Farrell, subsequently designed similar and even higher bridges at Corbally Bridge on the Enniscorthy to Oulart Road and Ballinatray Bridge near Courtown, to name but a few.
In 1856, Mr. Farrell designed and erected a newer bridge across the River Slaney in Wexford Town, which took the place of the old toll bridge. Bridges were not his only design creations; Mr Farrell was also involved in the design of St Senan’s Hospital (1860’s), near Enniscorthy.
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