Famous Offaly bridge was possibly built in late 1200's

THE Office of Public Works has told The Midland Tribune that a famous Offaly bridge was possibly built in the late 1200s.

Over the years Ardara Bridge near Cadamstown has often been referred to as “medieval”, but some have criticised this, arguing that it is of a later date, perhaps the 16 or 1700s.

The revelation about its date came following an email sent to the OPW by this newspaper, pointing out that the bridge has been concealed behind a huge amount of scaffolding since 2006. It's very disappointing that after 18 years the restoration work on the bridge still hasn't been completed. Back in 2006 many were hopeful that the work would be completed in a far shorter period of time, perhaps a year or two.

Ardara is one of Offaly's finest bridges, if not the finest. It is a magnificent structure set in a beautiful location.
The bridge is fully managed by the OPW.

A statement from the OPW Press Office pointed out that, “Cadamstown/Ardara Bridge which spans the Silver River was unfortunately in a very poor state of preservation when taken into state care in 2006. Considerable conservation works have been carried out, in the main to prevent the bridge from collapse. Archaeological evidence would suggest that it could possibly have been constructed as early as the late 13th Century, with some 17th & 18th Century interventions.

“Due to the vulnerable nature of the structure this project has proven to be extremely technically challenging, and as a result has had to be subdivided into a number of phases to ensure each phase can be carried out in a sustainable manner.
“The conservation team have been working on the design for the final phase of the project over recent months and the project is included in the Business plan for 2024.”

Sadly, the bridge is now no longer accessible to walkers and visitors. Last year it was reported that there were access issues and The Offaly Way (which takes you to the bridge) was closed between Cadamstown and Soldier's Hill.

All in all, between never ending scaffolding and inaccessibility it's a bad state of affairs for one of Offaly's finest heritage structures.