O'Briensbridge
Encyclopedia
O'Brien's Bridge or O'Briensbridge is a village
in east County Clare
, Ireland
, on the west bank of the River Shannon
. The first bridge across the river here was built in 1506 by Turlough O'Brien, First Earl of Thomond
and his brother, the Bishop of Killaloe.
This 16th-century bridge was replaced or rebuilt in around 1750. Five of the arches on the western side of the bridge date from this period. Six arches on the eastern side were replaced by the Shannon Commissioners in 1842. The first arch on the western side was replaced by the present navigation arch when the Shannon Scheme was built downstream in 1925-29.
At the eastern end of today's 14-arch bridge lies the village of Montpelier in County Limerick
.
The ancient river-crossing here is believed to be identical with Áth Caille (meaning "Ford of the Wood"): one of the three fords mentioned in the Triads of Ireland, the others being Áth Clíath (Dublin) and Áth Lúain (Athlone).
The local soccer club is Bridge Celtic AFC, which was formed in 1963 and currently plays in the Clare Soccer League. The club won the Clare Premier title in 2006/07, for the first time in 28 years.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in east County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, on the west bank of the River Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
. The first bridge across the river here was built in 1506 by Turlough O'Brien, First Earl of Thomond
Earl of Thomond
"Earl of Thomond" was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created twice for the family of Ó Briain. The O'Brien dynasty were an ancient Irish sept native to north Munster....
and his brother, the Bishop of Killaloe.
At the eastern end of today's 14-arch bridge lies the village of Montpelier in County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
.
The ancient river-crossing here is believed to be identical with Áth Caille (meaning "Ford of the Wood"): one of the three fords mentioned in the Triads of Ireland, the others being Áth Clíath (Dublin) and Áth Lúain (Athlone).
The local soccer club is Bridge Celtic AFC, which was formed in 1963 and currently plays in the Clare Soccer League. The club won the Clare Premier title in 2006/07, for the first time in 28 years.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- O'Briensbridge-MontpelierO'Briensbridge-MontpelierO'Briensbridge is a village in east County Clare, Ireland, on the west bank of the River Shannon. The first bridge across the river here was built in 1506 by Turlough O'Brien, First Earl of Thomond and his brother, the Bishop of Killaloe...
- Montpelier, County LimerickMontpelier, County LimerickMontpelier is a village in east County Limerick, Ireland, on the east bank of the River Shannon. It is connected to O'Briensbridge across the river in County Clare by a 14-arch stone bridge...