Bennettsbridge

Bennettsbridge
Droichead Bineád
Town
Bennettsbridge

Location in Ireland

Coordinates: 52°36′N 7°11′W / 52.600°N 7.183°W / 52.600; -7.183Coordinates: 52°36′N 7°11′W / 52.600°N 7.183°W / 52.600; -7.183
Country Ireland
Province Leinster
County County Kilkenny
Population (2006)[1]
 • Urban 685
Time zone WET (UTC+0)
 • Summer (DST) IST (WEST) (UTC-1)

Bennettsbridge (Irish: Droichead Bineád, meaning "Bennet's bridge") is a village in County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on the river Nore 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of Kilkenny city, in the centre of the county. Bennettsbridge is a census town with a population of 685.

The village is on the R700 road at a stone bridge crossing of the Nore between Kilkenny and Thomastown. It has become a craft centre in recent years, with several pottery and craft producers located at the old mill beside the weir.

The village is part of the parish of Tullaherin which contains an almost intact 9th-century round tower.

History

Bennettsbridge—view from the pottery weir.

Bennettsbridge owes its name to Saint Bennet and its strategic importance to its position at a major crossing of the river Nore. The first bridge was built on the site in 1285 and was dedicated to the saint, and was important for transport until the establishment of the railway. The current bridge dates from the 18th century after the original bridge was swept away in a flood in 1763. There were flour-mills at the weir and there was a Royal Irish Constabulary police station in the village.[2]

Geography

Bennettsbridge is located along the river Nore at a ford of the river about 10 kilometres (6 mi) from Gowran. There are two old mills downstream from the bridge. Ducks and swans and other river life are present in abundance.

Transport

Fortified police station.

Road

Bennettsbridge lies on the R700 regional road which carries much tourist traffic in the summertime from the Rosslare ferries, through Kilkenny and on into the midlands and Galway.

Bus

The village is served daily by Bus Éireann route 73 (Waterford –Kilkenny- Athlone). Kilbride Coaches' New Ross to Kilkenny route provides two journeys each way daily but none on Sundays. The first journey arrives into Kilkenny at 08.30 and the last return journey is at 18.00 making commuting possible. On Thursdays Bus Éireann route 374 provides a journey in each direction along the same route. Bus services to Rosslare Europort are available from New Ross and Waterford [3]

Tourist bus service

In the summer a Scheduled Ring A Link bus has been provided to allow visitors explore local craft outlets before enjoying a riverside walk back to Kilkenny.[4]

Rail

Bennettsbridge railway station opened on 2 September 1861, but closed permanently on 15 February 1965.[5] Nowadays the nearest rail station is Kilkenny railway station around 9 kilometres distant.

Landmarks

Nore Valley Park, 3.2 km from Bennettsbridge, includes a camping and caravan park, activity centre, open farm, farm trail, Crazy Golf course and a picnic and barbecue area.[6] There is lake fishing at Wallslough Village.

Nicholas Mosse Pottery was established by Nicholas Mosse in 1976.[7] It is located at an old riverside mill in Bennettsbridge.[8] It is possible to watch potters at work as they produce pottery in the style of Irish Spongeware which was the traditional pottery of Ireland used in the 18th Century.

Stoneware Jackson is another important pottery studio.[9] The pieces are hand-thrown, featuring two-color glazing and Celtic motifs.[10]

Bennett's Bridge

Bennett's Bridge in Bennettsbridge over the River Nore.

There is record of Bennett's Bridge in 1393, when John Midleton, guardian of the chapel of St. Mary received licence to fortify the bridge.[11] The ancient viaduct was destroyed by the great flood of 1793. The great flood washed away many of the major bridges crossing the River Nore and so comprehensive rebuilding programme was initiated in the eighteenth century. Other eighteenth-century bridges include; Green's Bridge in Kilkenny City, Castlecomer; Thomastown Bridge on the River Nore; Graiguenamanagh Bridge on the River Barrow and Inistioge Bridge on the River Nore; and bridges in Goresbridge, Kells, Threecastles, Dinin Bridge and the bridge at Mount Juliet.

Bennett's Bridge is an important element of the civil engineering and transport heritage of County Kilkenny and is included in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) Building Survey.[12]

Sport

People

See also

References

  1. ↑ Census 2006—Volume 1 - p. 136. PDF (4.22 MB) – Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Retrieved on 22 May 2008.
  2. ↑ Lewis 1837
  3. ↑ http://buseireann.ie/pdf/1360753128-073.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/your-community/bus-to-bennettsbridge-lets-walkers-enjoy-stroll-along-the-nore-1-3979051
  5. ↑ "Bennettsbridge station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 12 Sep 2007.
  6. ↑ Nore Valley Park
  7. ↑ Nicholas Mosse Website
  8. ↑ Campbell, Georgina (2007), Georgina Campbell's Ireland 2007-The Guide (pdf) (Revised ed.), Georgina Campbell's Guides Ltd, p. 552, ISBN 978-1-903164-23-5, retrieved 25 August 2009
  9. ↑ Stoneware Jackson Website
  10. ↑ Daugherty, Christi (2006), Frommer's Ireland 2006 (pdf), John Wiley & Sons, p. 608, ISBN 978-0-7645-9771-8, retrieved 25 August 2009
  11. ↑ Kilkenny and South-east of Ireland Archaeological Society (1867), The journal of the Kilkenny and South-east of Ireland Archaeological Society (pdf), Dublin: Kilkenny Archaeological Society, p. 275, retrieved 7 August 2009
  12. ↑ Bennett's Bridge, Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny.National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH)

Further reading

External links

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