Battered bridge is a sore point with villagers

The people of one of Kilkenny's most picturesque villages have begun a campaign to save a historic bridge from further destruction. Kilkenny County Council says repairs will be carried out shortly to Inistioge bridge, which was built in the 18th century and is reputed to be the only 10-arch bridge in Europe.

Once regarded as a hidden treasure, Inistioge is in one of the south-east's most scenic areas and has attracted increasing numbers of visitors in recent years.

It is also a multiple award-winner in the annual Tidy Towns competition. Locals, however, claim its appeal is being diminished by gaps in the bridge walls, regarded as the focal point of the village. Articulated lorries are largely to blame for the damage.

Mr Leslie Russell, chairman of Inistioge's Tidy Towns committee, said villagers were unhappy with the response of the council, which, he claimed, had been slow to carry out repairs. "Once it gets a bang and damage is done, it's left for 12 months. Then it's repaired and damaged again within two to three weeks."

A large gap in the wall at the Inistioge entrance to the bridge had been there seven months, he said. This had made the bridge unsafe and extremely unsightly.

Villagers had made a tremendous effort to maintain and improve the appearance of Inistioge but their work was being undermined by the state of the bridge, he added.

The county secretary, Mr Philip O'Neill, said repairs would be carried out shortly, while improvements to the bridge would be considered under next year's roadworks scheme. In the long term, the problem would be alleviated by major road corridors such as the N9 motorway, to be built as part of the National Development Plan. This would divert much of the heavy traffic from the village.

Mr Russell, said locals were unhappy with the council's response and have begun a petition to have repairs done immediately.

The bridge, spanning the river Nore, was built in 1765, replacing a wooden structure which was washed away by a flood two years earlier. The 10th arch, on the New Ross side, is believed to have been an addition to accommodate a canal that was never completed.