Clapper bridge from Bunlahinch
The Bunlahinch Clapper Bridge is about ten kilometers west of Louisburgh in County Mayo , Ireland . The name Bunlahinch ( Irish Bun na hinse ) means the bottom of the river meadow. The clapper bridge , which is unusual for the west of Ireland , is dated to the 1840s, but the form of construction dates back to prehistoric times.
The footbridge over the Bunleemshough River is about two meters wide and 40 meters long. The basic structure consists of 38 stone pillars, which are bridged by flat stone slabs. The bridge has a stone railing on one side. It was built to cross a wide but flat river landscape. This bridge was probably built by the Irish Mission, a Protestant community (colony) who leased the land from the Marquis of Sligo. The area is still managed locally under the name "The Colony".
Other Irish clapper bridges are located in Gougane Barra and near Ballybeg Abbey in Buttefant , both in County Cork .
Web links
Coordinates: 53 ° 43'5.7 " N , 9 ° 53'19.3" W.