School: An Charraig Bheag, Carraig na Siúire

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1. Fiddown Bridge

   

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   This bridge connects the counties of Waterford and Kilkenny at Fiddown. The Waterford end of the bridge is placed in the extreme eastern portion of the Parish of Carrickbeg at Brownswood. The bridge is remarkable on three accounts. First it is a wooden bridge, second it is a draw bridge, third it is a toll bridge. It was built in 1852 by the Waterford-Limerick Railway Company for the purpose of connecting Fiddown Station with Portlaw. In fact the station at Fiddown is still officially named Fiddown and Portlaw. The latter place is two miles distant from Fiddown on the Waterford side and was then of much more importance in industry than Fiddown as it contained Malcolmsons’ cotton factory which employed a large number of Workers. The factory paid its hands by leather tokens which were accepted by shopkeepers and bankers as legal tender. The construction of the bridge was economically carried out as the engineers made use of an island which stands in the centre of the river here. The centre of the bridge is a metalled roadway the two branches of the river being spanned by wooden archways. The draw bridge is on the Kilkenny side and allows steamers and ships to pass through on their way to

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Ned Hahessy

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Mr Michael Heffernan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Reatagh, Co. Waterford