Emergency funding call for Shaky Bridge

The Government has been urged to provide special emergency funding to repair one of Cork’s greatest landmarks.

It follows confirmation that no funding was provided in a specific grant scheme this year to carry out repairs to the famous Daly’s Bridge — affectionately known to generations as the Shaky Bridge.

Fianna Fáil councillor Tony Fitzgerald said with the regeneration of Fitzgerald’s Park almost complete, the bridge, which provides access to the park from the northside of the city, should be upgraded.

The issue was raised at last week’s city council meeting by Fine Gael councillor Joe O’Callaghan, almost a year after he first flagged his concerns about the state of the bridge.

City Hall said it made an application under the Specific Grant Improvement Scheme 2014 to undertake remedial works to the bridge.

No grant allocation was received in 2014, assistant city manager Dan Buggy said.

Last year, Mr O’Callaghan said the historic bridge — the city’s only suspension bridge — was in desperate need of some TLC. He said he had concerns after seeing extensive corrosion on the bridge’s latticework.

“It is an iconic structure. It’s our equivalent of the Ha’penny Bridge in Dublin and that bridge has a remarkable place in the hearts of Dubs,” he said.

“I would plead with the city manager to lavish love and attention on it.”

The bridge was inspected in 2012 as part of a major city- wide bridge survey which found several other bridges were in worse condition.

While corrosion to the steel latticework was identified and the need for repairs was acknowledged, it was felt that other bridge repairs needed to be prioritised.

Mr Buggy told Mr O’Callaghan last week a further application will be submitted for 2015.

However, Mr Fitzgerald said the application should be fast-tracked, given that the revamped Fitzgerald’s Park, will be reopening soon.

Daly’s Bridge was built in 1927 by a London-based firm to a design by former Cork City architect Stephen Farrington. Its construction was funded by butter merchant John Daly, who was asked to provide funds to help build a bridge to facilitate increased pedestrian traffic coming from Sunday’s Well to rugby matches at the Mardyke.