Bridge in the community

A local family in Ballyjamesduff gathered with neighbours and the local priest to officially open Pottlesoden Bridge.

Works began in August, with diversions in place for locals and were completed on September 12. A few days later, the community gathered together to open the refurbished bridge that has left a lasting memory in the townland.

“There’s only three households in Pottlesoden so we all came together to take a picture with the bridge,” Tara Tierney outlined.

Tara’s grandmother Nancy Tierney who is 95 years old lives in one of these households. Over the past 70 years, she had watched her children play around the bridge and was “delighted” to see it refurbished.

“All her children, my father, my uncles and aunts, years ago they used to play under it and go through it and all of that in the sixties when they were growing up.”

In more recent times, harsh weather meant the bridge became “more dilapidated".

“For a long time you wouldn’t have seen the bridge at all, it would only be locals that would have known the stream runs to Cornagrove Lake outside Ballyjamesduff.

“It was really overgrown, there were no walls, you wouldn’t know it was actually a bridge.”

After checking for wildlife that may have been nesting underneath and not finding anything, the Office of Public Works “were able to go ahead” with its refurbishment.

“They actually finished early and got it opened up for locals again and everyone to go through.”

Nancy along with two of her great grandchildren who were visiting from America, her grandchildren, and some of her 12 sons and daughters, neighbours and local priest Father Donal Kilduff visited the bridge to take a photo.

“We just got a cord ourselves and Nancy cut it and we just officially opened the bridge ourselves.

Tara said her grandmother is “happy to see it [the bridge] all done and looking well".

“She was delighted to see it,” she said, adding that the family are “thankful” for the people who carried out the work.