The Bridges of Ballyshannon Town

Ballyshannon in County Donegal is reported to be Ireland’s oldest town. Situated at a strategic crossing of the River Erne, the town’s development was substantially shaped by its bridges. The original stone-built fourteen-arched “Ballyshannon Bridge” from before the 17^th Century functioned as a critical transport link between the provinces of Ulster and Connacht and influenced river flow, fisheries and people’s movements. Ballyshannon now has three unique bridges—the Allingham, Millennium and Cathleen’s Falls Bridges. The 17^th-century Ballyshannon Bridge was replaced by the Allingham Bridge (1946/47); the Millennium Footbridge (1999) was constructed to the west of the Allingham Bridge; and the Cathleen’s Falls Bridge (2006), which also carries the Aodh Rua Footbridge, was constructed to the east to facilitate the Ballyshannon-Bundoran bypass. The three bridges of Ballyshannon are all single-arch bridges with differing structural forms. These bridges have significant historical importance and environmental links. The town also has several disused railway bridges that date back to the 1860s. Ballyshannon Museum has many important artefacts telling the history of the town, with a steady stream of tourists enjoying the heritage of the town.