Killaloe Bridge is a road bridge over the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( or archaic ') is the major river on the island of Ireland, and at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of I ...

between Ballina in

County Tipperary County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...

and

Killaloe, County Clare Killaloe ( ; ) is a small town in east County Clare, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It lies on the River Shannon on the western bank of Lough Derg (Shannon), Lough Derg and is connected by Killaloe Bridge to the "twin town" of Ballina, County ...

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 ...

. Built on the site of an earlier structure (dating to c.1650), the eighteenth-century bridge has thirteen arches and includes a lifting section that was added in 1929. The bridge has only one vehicular lane, with traffic lights to control vehicle movement. The bridge is a protected structure, listed on the

Record of Protected Structures Conservation in the Republic of Ireland is overseen by a number of statutory and non-governmental agencies, including those with responsibility for Historic preservation, conservation of the built environment and Environmental protection, conservat ...

by both

Clare County Council Clare County Council () is the local authority of County Clare, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and de ...

(#210) and Tipperary County Council (#S672).

Monument

An ornate monument in the middle of the bridge commemorates four

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...

members who were shot on the bridge in 1920, during the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...

. There is also a plaque recording the 1825 partial rebuild of the bridge.

Eel management programme

A trap and transport scheme is in force on the Shannon as part of an eel management programme following the discovery of reducing populations within the

. This scheme is intended to ensure safe passage for young eels between Killaloe Bridge and the

Shannon Estuary The Shannon Estuary in Ireland () is a large estuary where the River Shannon flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The estuary has Limerick City at its head and its seaward limits are marked by Loop Head to the north and Kerry Head to the south. Th ...

New bridge crossing

In the early 21st century, Clare County Council and North Tipperary County Council presented proposals for a new road to bypass Killaloe, including a new Shannon bridge crossing, approximately 1 km south of the existing bridge. Amendments were made to the local area plans, and a mechanism for enforcing

compulsory purchase order A compulsory purchase order (CPO; , ) is a legal function in the United Kingdom and Ireland that allows certain bodies to obtain land or property without the consent of the owner. It may be enforced if a proposed development is considered one for ...

was confirmed in March 2013. By 2018, detailed design planning was underway on works for the Killaloe bypass and proposed new bridge. As of 2020, roadworks in Killaloe and Ballina were underway, with a proposed "target for the commencement of construction" on the bridge in "Spring 2022". A "

sod turning Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, turf-cutting, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such cer ...

" ceremony was held in late 2022. The new bridge, named for

Brian Boru Brian Boru (; modern ; 23 April 1014) was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Vikings, Viking invasio ...

, was officially open to traffic on 22 May 2025.

References

External links

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage record (20300805) Killaloe Bridge, Shantraud, Killaloe, Clare

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage record (22306005) Killaloe Bridge, Cullenagh, Ballina, Tipperary North
{{River Shannon River Shannon Bridges in the Republic of Ireland Buildings and structures in County Tipperary Buildings and structures in County Clare