Council carries out strengthening works on old Shinrone bridge

Repair work, costing €24,500 Euros, has been carried out by Offaly County Council outdoor staff at the old masonry arch bridge at Ballyrihy (south of Shinrone).

Area Engineer John Mitchell told the January meeting of Birr Municipal District that the work involved the provision of scour protection to the bridge abutments and the lowering of the stream channel to aid flow. This scour protection will protect the bridge from further erosion at its base.

Mr Mitchell said it is the Council's policy to look after the county's heritage and to "retain the old masonry arch bridges wherever we can."

He said a total of €104,000 was spent on repairing bridges in Birr Municipal District during 2022. He gave two examples of this work carried out by the County Council crews. One of these was Ballyrihy bridge. The other was a box culvert at Ballyclery (also south of Shinrone).  "At Ballyclery," he remarked, "two concrete pipes laid side by side were blocking regularly and we replaced them with a new concrete box culvert, which cost €17,000."