Bennettsbridge () is a village in

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It is situated on the

River Nore The River Nore ( ga, An Fheoir ) is one of the principal rivers (along with the River Suir and River Barrow) in the South-East Region of Ireland. The river drains approximately of Leinster and Munster, that encompasses parts of three coun ...

south of Kilkenny city, in the centre of the county. Bennettsbridge is a

census town In India and some other countries, a census town is designated as a town that satisfies certain characteristics. India In India, a census town is one which is not statutorily notified and administered as a town, but nevertheless whose population ...

, and had population of 745 as of the 2016 census. The village is on the R700 road at a stone bridge crossing of the Nore between Kilkenny and

Thomastown Thomastown (), historically known as Grennan, is a town in County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland. It is a market town along a stretch of the River Nore which is known for its salmon and trout, with a number of ...

. It has become a craft centre in recent years, with several

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and po ...

and

craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pr ...

producers located at the old mill beside the

weir A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

. The village is part of the parish of Tullaherin which contains an almost intact 9th-century

round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and ful ...

History

Bennettsbridge owes its name to Saint Benet and its strategic importance to its position at a major crossing of the river Nore. The first bridge was built on the site in 1285 and was dedicated to the saint, and was important for transport until the establishment of the railway. The current bridge dates from the 18th century after the original bridge was swept away in a flood in 1763. There were flour-mills at the weir and there was a

Royal Irish Constabulary The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ga, Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the country was part of the United Kingdom. A separate ...

police station in the village.

Geography

Bennettsbridge is located along the river Nore at a

ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

of the river about from Gowran. There are two old mills downstream from the bridge. Ducks and swans and other river life are present in abundance.

Transport

Road

Bennettsbridge lies on the R700

regional road The term regional road (or route) is used in a number of places to designate roads of more than purely ''local'' but less than ''national'' strategic importance in a country's highway network. It is used formally and officially in reference to: *R ...

which carries much tourist traffic in the summertime from the Rosslare ferries, through Kilkenny and on into the

midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Mercia, Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in ...

and

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city ...

Bus

The village is served daily by

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subs ...

route 73 (

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

– Kilkenny-

Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...

). Kilbride Coaches'

New Ross New Ross (, formerly ) is a town in southwest County Wexford, Ireland. It is located on the River Barrow, near the border with County Kilkenny, and is around northeast of Waterford. In 2016 it had a population of 8,040 people, making it t ...

to Kilkenny route provides two journeys each way daily but none on Sundays. The first journey arrives into Kilkenny at 08.30 and the last return journey is at 18.00 making commuting possible. On Thursdays

route 374 provides a journey in each direction along the same route. Bus services to

Rosslare Europort Rosslare Europort ( ga, Europort Ros Láir) is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Ireland, near the southeasternmost point of the island of Ireland. The port is the premier Irish port serving the European Conti ...

are available from

and

In the summer, a scheduled Ring A Link bus allows visitors to access local craft outlets before taking a riverside walk back to Kilkenny.

Rail

Bennettsbridge railway station opened on 2 September 1861, but closed permanently on 15 February 1965. Nowadays the nearest rail station is

Kilkenny railway station Kilkenny railway station ( MacDonagh Station), ( ga, Stáisiún Mhic Donncha) serves the city of Kilkenny in County Kilkenny. It is a station on the Dublin to Waterford intercity route. and was given the name MacDonagh on 10 April 1966 in co ...

around 9 kilometres distant.

Landmarks

Bennett's Bridge

There is record of Bennett's Bridge in 1393, when John Midleton, guardian of the chapel of St. Mary received

licence to fortify In medieval England, Wales and the Channel Islands a licence to crenellate (or licence to fortify) granted the holder permission to fortify his property. Such licences were granted by the king, and by the rulers of the counties palatine within the ...

the bridge. The ancient viaduct was destroyed by the great flood of 1793. The flood washed away many of the major bridges crossing the

and so a comprehensive rebuilding programme was initiated in the eighteenth century. Kilkenny architect William Robertson worked on it in 1826, with the design of the bridge attributed (according to the

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) maintains a central database of the architectural heritage of the Republic of Ireland covering the period since 1700 in complement to the Archaeological Survey of Ireland, which focuses on ar ...

) to George Smith. Other bridges, built or rebuilt in the same period, include Green's Bridge in

Kilkenny City Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilkenn ...

Bridge on the River Nore,

Graiguenamanagh Graiguenamanagh or Graignamanagh () is a town on the River Barrow in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Part of the settlement, known as Tinnahinch, is on the County Carlow side of the river, and Carlow County Council refers to the whole village as "Grai ...

Bridge on the River Barrow,

Inistioge Inistioge (; ) is a small village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Historically, its name has been spelt as Ennistioge, Ennisteage, and in other ways. The village is situated on the River Nore, southeast of Kilkenny. Situated along the River N ...

Bridge on the Nore,

Goresbridge Goresbridge () is a small village located in the east of County Kilkenny, in the province of Leinster, Ireland. Goresbridge is named after a 1756 bridge, built by Colonel Ralph Gore, which provides a crossing of the River Barrow between County ...

on the Barrow, and the bridge at Mount Juliet.

Parks and recreation

Nore Valley Park, 3.2 km from Bennettsbridge, includes a camping and caravan park, activity centre, open farm, farm trail, crazy golf course and a picnic and barbecue area. There is lake fishing at Wallslough Village.

Arts and crafts

Nicholas Mosse Pottery was established by

Nicholas Mosse Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its ...

in 1976. It is located at an old riverside mill in Bennettsbridge. It is possible to watch potters at work as they produce pottery in the style of Irish Spongeware which was a traditional 18th Century type of pottery. Stoneware Jackson is another local pottery studio.Stoneware Jackson Website
The pieces are hand-thrown, featuring two-color glazing and Celtic motifs. Moth to a Flame is a local candle maker based on the Bennettsbridge road on the way into the village coming from Kilkenny city.

Sport

Bennettsbridge GAA Bennettsbridge is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The Bridge last won the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship in 1971 and have recently re-gained their senior status. Achievements * Kilkenn ...

is the local

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

club.

People

Noel Skehan Richard Noel Skehan (born 6 December 1944) is an Irish former hurler who played as a goalkeeper at senior level for the Kilkenny county team. Born in Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny, Skehan first arrived on the inter-county scene at the ag ...

, former Kilkenny hurling goalkeeper. *

Hubert Butler Hubert Marshal Butler (23 October 1900 – 5 January 1991) was an Irish essayist who wrote on a wide range of topics, from local history and archaeology to the political and religious affairs of eastern Europe before and during World War II ...

, the essayist. *

James McGarry James McGarry may refer to: * James McGarry (hurler) * James McGarry (footballer) James Robert McGarry (born 9 April 1998) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Aberdeen. Club career McGarry was scouted to attend ...

, former Kilkenny hurling goalkeeper. * John McGovern, former Kilkenny hurling player.

References

External links

Kilkenny Photographic Society Pictures

Bennettsbridge GAA

{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Kilkenny Census towns in County Kilkenny