The Michael Davitt Bridge () is a

swing bridge A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that can be rotated horizontally around a vertical axis. It has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravit ...

on the R319 road in

County Mayo County Mayo (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

that crosses from

Achill Island Achill Island (; ) is an island off the west coast of Ireland in the historical barony of Burrishoole, County Mayo. It is the largest of the Irish isles and has an area of approximately . Achill had a population of 2,345 in the 2022 census. ...

to the Mainland.

History

The plan for a bridge to connect Achill Island to the Corraun Peninsula was considered in the early 1880s. A Mayo County surveyor drew up plans, which were approved by J. Price, a civil engineer. The official authorization was received from The Board of Trade in London and in 1883 an administrative body was organized to finance it ; total cost was projected to be approximately £5,000. The costs exceeded the estimates. However, John Grey Vesey Porter of County Fermanagh contributed his personal funds, so that the bridge could be built as designed. The bridge's structure consisted of a steel bowstring girder construction with a span of pivoting on a central pier. The roadway was in width. It was named for

Michael Davitt Michael Davitt (25 March 1846 – 30 May 1906) was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican activist for a variety of causes, especially Home Rule (Ireland), Home Rule and land reform. Following an eviction when he was four years old, Davitt's ...

, 19th Century Irish social campaigner,

Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood. They were secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries ...

, and founder of the National Land League. Davitt officially opened the bridge in 1887. The 1887 bridge was designed for horse-drawn traffic and deteriorated with the advent of heavier motorized traffic in the 1900s. In 1947 the Mayo County Council planned to demolish and replace the bridge. J & C McGloughlin of Dublin undertook the construction, which was the largest bridge construction project by an Irish company at the time. It was completed in early 1949. By 2007 the bridge had a number of problems with its swing mechanism, which hindered boat traffic. A review of its structures indicated corrosion and the Mayo County Council gave its backing to provide a new swing bridge. Its new design by Malachy Walsh & Partners was based on a Spanish Calatrava architectural model. SIAC Construction undertook the work and it was opened in 2008. The finished bridge weighs 390 tonnes, but is still operated manually. In November 2010, the bridge failed to close for over 2 hours, which resulted in a traffic snarl. The Mayo County Council ordered the bridge consultants and contractors to investigate this failure. The senior engineer, Michael Mongan, said minor modifications were put in place to resolve the issues. The bridge recommenced operations on a trial basis with the bridge back in full operation by the end of March 2011. On 3 September 2017, the bridge celebrated its 130th anniversary.

References

External links

Bridges of Dublin: Michael Davitt Bridge (2003), Achill Island, MayoThe Irish Times, New Bridge at Achill to open this week, 29 October 2008.
Bridges in the Republic of Ireland Bridges completed in 1887 Buildings and structures in County Mayo Swing bridges Achill Island {{Mayo-geo-stub