Garfinny Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Garfinny BridgeDroichead na Gairfeanaí |
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| Coordinates | 52°09′00″N 10°13′38″W / 52.149939°N 10.227143°W |
| Carries | local road |
| Crosses | Garfinny River |
| Locale | Garfinny, Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry |
| Followed by | N86 bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch bridge |
| Material | stone |
| Total length | 16 metres (52 ft) |
| Width | 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 3 metres (9.8 ft) |
| Number of spans | 1 |
| Design life | 500+ years |
| History | |
| Construction begin | c. 1400 |
| Official name | Garfinny Bridge |
| Reference no. | 612 |
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Garfinny Bridge is a really old stone bridge in County Kerry, Ireland. It's so important that it's been named an Irish National Monument. This means it's protected because of its history and special design.
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Where is Garfinny Bridge?
Garfinny Bridge crosses the Garfinny River. You can find it on the beautiful Dingle Peninsula in Ireland. It's about 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) east-northeast of the town of Dingle.
The Story of Garfinny Bridge
Experts believe Garfinny Bridge was built a very long time ago, sometime in the 1300s or 1400s. It's thought that a famous person named Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton, who was a leader in Ireland, might have crossed this bridge with his soldiers in 1580. They were on their way to an important event called the Siege of Smerwick.
By the 1800s, parts of the bridge started to fall apart. People then had to find other ways to cross the river nearby. Today, cars and other traffic use a newer, modern bridge located just north of the old Garfinny Bridge.
How Garfinny Bridge Was Built
Garfinny Bridge is a special kind of bridge called a dry stone bridge. This means it was built without any mortar, which is like the cement mix used to hold bricks or stones together. Instead, the stones are carefully placed to fit perfectly.
The arch of the bridge is made from stones that curve outwards. These stones "spring" from other stones that stick out over the river. This building method is called corbelling. It's amazing how strong it is, even without mortar!
Garfinny Bridge is the only bridge in Ireland that has been given the special title of an Irish National Monument. This shows how unique and important its design and history are.
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