Delight as €1.35m Gaddagh bridge re-opens

LIFE returned to normal in a scenic, rural area of Kerry yesterday with the official opening of a new €1.35 million bridge by Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue.

The 70m, five-arch, concrete structure replaces an old stone bridge over the River Gaddagh, near Beaufort, that collapsed following extremely heavy rainfall in December 2006.

The collapse resulted in the closure of the road and traffic diversions, which created serious difficulties for the local community, especially those involved in farming, with a number of landowners having lands on both sides of the bridge.