Barrow Bridge

It is an important element of the early twentieth-century transport heritage of Kilkenny and Wexford.[1] Part of the development of the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway.[1][7][6] Built as a joint venture between the "Fishguard and Rosslare Railways & Harbors Company (FRR + H Co)" and the Great Southern and Western and Great Western. To improve cross-channel passenger services the Rosslare Strand to Waterford.[4][6] After the Tay Bridge and Forth Bridge it was the third longest rail bridge in Britain and Ireland..[5][4]

The New Ross branch had opened in 1887 and in 1904 it was extended from New Ross to Waterford, this allowed connection with the Great Southern and Great Western and the south of Ireland. It carried the railway from Waterford to Wexford and on to Rosslare Harbour. The line followed the left bank of the river Suir over its course through County Kilkenny. This route contains four bridges, the Barrow Viaduct and three single span over minor streams.[3] The line was built from 1902 and the bridge was reopened by 1906.[1][5][6]

This elegant and pragmatic bridge represents a striking rural landmark on the River Barrow.[1] Designed by the consulting engineer to the Rosslare & Waterford Railway,[8] Sir Benjamin Baker.[5] Baker had been responsible, with Sir John Fowler, for the design of the Forth Rail Bridge,[8] and had designed the Keady viaduct and Tassagh viaduct.[8] An 1887 viaduct built to designs prepared by Dixon (fl. 1887) and Alfred Thorne (fl. 1887-96)[1] was incorporated the fabric of the 1906 railway bridge.[1]

The steel bridge was supplied and built by the building contractor Sir William Arrol Sir William Arrol and Co.. The Glaswegian firm were engineers and bridge builders, of Dalmarnock, Scotland.[5][9] Arrol had also worked on the Forth Rail Bridge. A rural landmark on the Barrow[1] it is of identical design to the Suir Viaduct.[3]

The track used 87lb bullhead rail. The timber sleepers were "laid in 45-foot lengths".[6] The signalling system was Electric Train Staff (ETS) with lower quadrant semaphore signals.[6] This single track was the longest railway bridge in Ireland at a length of 2,131 ft (650 m).[5][5]

This bridge is one of six rail bridges crossing the Barrow and is one of 45 bridges on the river.[4] The single track steel railway bridge incorporated an earlier 1887 viaduct.[1] On the rail line there is a short tunnel on the Kilkenny side and a tunnel of 217 yd (198 m) on the Wexford side.[5] It stands 26 ft (7.9 m) above the high water mark,[5]

Each of its 13 main spans of 148 ft (45 m)[5] are supported on twin cast iron piers.[3] The two central spans are pivoted to allow boats to pass through,[3] this is a swiveling single drum pier of 215 ft (66 m), and the end spans are 144 ft (44 m).[5][1] The utilitarian bridge[1] has lattice parapets incorporating steel coping[1] with minimal superfluous ornamentation.[1]

In 2014 it was listed by An Taisce in its "Buildings at Risk Register".[2] An Taisce records "The structure does not appear to be maintained and there are obvious signs of deterioration." and that "a conservation management plan should be applied to it, to help preserve our rail heritage".[2]

• List of bridges in the Republic of Ireland
• History of rail transport in Ireland
• List of bridges in Ireland

• "1906 - Barrow Railway Bridge, Co. Wexford - Architecture of Kilkenny, Architecture of Wexford - Archiseek - Irish Architecture". archiseek.com. 18 March 2014.
• "1906 – Barrow Railway Bridge, Co. Wexford". buildingsofireland.ie.