Cromwell's Bridge (Glengarriff)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cromwell's Bridge in a late 19th century photochromic print
Drawing by the English illustrator WH Bartlett (1809–1854) from approx. 1842, showing Cromwell's Bridge in the middle right below the later bridge.

Cromwell's Bridge was an arch bridge made of stone with lifting the infrastructure, the River Glengarriff right at the mouth at the same place in the Irish County Cork crossed. The bridge is also known as the Keamagower , which in Irish means Céim an Ghabhair (goat path ).

All that remains is a semicircular arch on the southern bank of the river, which protrudes about eight meters into the river and is 3.55 m wide. According to Bartlett's drawing from around 1842, there were originally five sheets. A few wedge stones are still preserved from the central arch. The pointed ends of the river pillars , which were used to break the waves, extended to the full height of the bridge.

Until the mid-19th century, Glengarriff could only be reached practically by sea. The few paths and this bridge only served the cattle drive, pedestrians and horse-drawn carts . The bridge was probably built by the English settlers who first settled in Glengarriff in the 17th century. Oliver Cromwell , who recaptured Ireland from 1649 to 1653 and to whom the bridge refers by name, was never in Glengarriff himself. However, it was not uncommon for English bridges and structures from this period to be labeled with the name Cromwells. Other examples near Glengarriff include Cromwell's Road , a disused stone-walled path, and another Cromwell's Bridge over a mountain stream on Shrone Hill.

In the 19th century, the old bridge and the scenery corresponded to the romantic ideal , so that it became known early on through drawings and photographs. Joseph Stirling Coyne described this around 1842:

"The most extensive view of the glen is to be obtained from the steep on the old Berehaven road, near Cromwell's Bridge, from whence the spectator beholds the dark woods, hills, and rushing streams of Glengariff, the lofty mountains of Berehaven, the bold shores of Bantry Bay, and, afar off, the line of ocean, bounding all with its dark blue cincture. "

literature

  • Denis Power (Ed.): Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork . Stationery Office, Dublin 1992, p. 375 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c See Power.
  2. ↑ Cf. Alexander Robert Forbes: Gaelic Names of Beasts (Mammalia), Birds, Fishes, Insects, Reptiles, etc. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh 1905, p. 165 ( archive.org ). Note: In the book mentioned, ceim or ceum na gaibhre is mentioned. The Irish spelling used corresponds to the current spelling of the standardized Irish language, see Maggie Seaton (Ed.): Collins Irish Dictionary . HarperCollins, 2009, ISBN 978-0-00-729844-0 .
  3. ↑ See J. Stirling Coyne: The Scenery and Antiquities of Ireland . Mercury Books, London 2003, ISBN 1-904668-41-0 , pp. 246 .
  4. ↑ On the settlement history of Glengarriff cf. Michael J. Carroll: A History of Bantry & Bantry Bay . Bantry 2008, ISBN 978-0-9552039-3-0 , pp. 183-184 .
  5. ↑ On the routes from Cromwell in Ireland cf. the cards in Micheál Ó Siochrú: God's Executioner: Oliver Cromwell and the Conquest of Ireland . faber and faber, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-571-21846-2 .
  6. ↑ See Power, p. 357, entry 3294
  7. ↑ See Power, p. 374, entry 3384.
  8. ^ J. Stirling Coyne: The Scenery and Antiquities of Ireland . Mercury Books, London 2003, ISBN 1-904668-41-0 , pp. 246 .

Coordinates: 51 ° 44'56.9 "  N , 9 ° 33'3.5"  W.