School: Fairgreen
- Location:
- Belturbet, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: S. Mac Gabhann
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0972, Page 435
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- Battle of Watterbridge
About three miles from the village of Newtownbutler Watterbridge stands. The origin of the name "Waterbridge" goes back the the sixteenth century, when the bridge was built of stout pods or wattles supported by stakes called gads. These stakes formed the anchores and mainstay of the structure while the interlacing rods or wattles formed the roadway by which people crossed.In the year 1689 a large army of Jacobites consisting of several Connaught regiments, marched from Belturbet across Wattlebridge and through Newtownbutler on the way to capture Inniskillen. Somewhere about the present village of Maguires' bridge they met the men of Inniskillen on their way to aid the besieged in the city of Derry.On approaching each other a fierce struggle began. After some severe fighting the Connought army retreated to Newtownbutler. During the Struggle a spy named Fitzpatrick acting on behalf of the Inniskillen men cut the "Gads" in the bridge. Whilst the Connoought men were making a quick retreat, they had not time(continues on next page)
- Collector
- S.R. Mac Gabhann
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Teacher
