Green's Bridge

Green's Bridge Green's Bridge [1]
Green's Bridge on the river Nore in 2010
Coordinates	52°39′29″N7°15′13″W / 52.6580457°N 7.2535254°W / 52.6580457; -7.2535254
Crosses	River Nore
Locale	Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland
Official name	Green's Bridge
Maintained by	Kilkenny County Council
Heritage status	Protected Structure [2]
NIAH [3]	Reg. No.12004007 [3] KN-130 [1]
Website	buildingsofireland.ie
Characteristics
Design	Arch bridge/palladian-style
Material	Limestone
Trough construction	limestone
Pier construction	limestone
History
Architect	George Smith
Constructed by	William Colles (c. 1710–1770)
Construction start	1765 [1]
Construction cost	£2828 [4]
Opened	1766 [1]
Replaces	Great Bridge of Kilkenny
Location

Green's Bridge, or Greensbridge, is an elegant, Palladian-style, limestone arch bridge that crosses the river Nore in Kilkenny, Ireland. ^[1] The bridge is a series of five elliptical arches of high-quality carved limestone masonry with a two-arch culvert to the east. ^{[1] [3]} Its graceful profile, architectural design value, and civil engineering heritage endow it with national significance. ^[3] Historian Maurice Craig described it as one of the five-finest bridges in Ireland. ^[5] It was built by William Colles and designed by George Smith, and was completed in 1766. ^{[1] [3]} The bridge was 250 years old in 2016.

The bridge's location on the north side of Kilkenny has been a ford since at least the middle of the 10th century. ^[6] The first bridge there was built in the 12th century by settlers from Flanders and has been rebuilt many times due to frequent floods. ^{[6] [7] [8]} The bridge itself is known from medieval times; it was described as "the Bridge of Kilkenny", "the big bridge of Kilkenny", and "Grines Bridge"; the origin of the name Green's Bridge, however, is uncertain. ^{[9] [10]} The "Great Flood of 1763" destroyed the previous bridge. ^[3]

Green's Bridge was designed by George Smith and built by William Colles. ^[1] Colles was the owner of a marble works and an inventor of machinery for sawing, boring, and polishing limestone. ^[11] Smith designed an almost-true copy of the Bridge of Tiberius (Italian : Ponte di Augusto e Tiberio) in Rimini, Italy, as described by Andrea Palladio in I quattro libri dell'architettura (The Four Books of Architecture) (1570). ^{[3] [12]} Parapets were added during a renovation in 1835. ^[1]

Temporary works to the bridge, which is currently used as a road bridge, carried out in 1969 have had a negative impact and the general appraisal is that it needs restoration. ^{[3] [13]} The estimated the cost of the bridge was £2,828. ^[4]

Background

At the centre of medieval Irish kingdom Osraige, Kilkenny grew from a monastic settlement—now St Canice's Cathedral on the hill above the bridge—to a thriving Norman merchant town in the Middle Ages. ^[14] Below the hill was a slow-moving and relatively easily fordable point on the Nore that had used from at least the 10th century. ^{[6] [7] [8]} Three important roads , including from Old Leighlin and Rosconnail (south of Ballyragget), forded the Rivers Nore and Bregagh. ^[15]

Later the area was converted to a mill pond associated with the Augustinian Priory of St Johns and a new bridge was needed. ^{[6] [16]} Settlers from Flanders may have built the first bridge in the 12th century. ^[7] The late medieval bridge has been recorded as "the Bridge of Kilkenny" in c. 1178 and "the big bridge of Kilkenny" in c. 1223. ^[9] It was described as "Grines Bridge" in 1623. the origin of the name "Green's Bridge" is unknown; a Greene family "acquired the land in this area on October 21, 1631", however, merchant John Rothe of Rothe House in his will of 1619 bequeathed to his son John, "All my messauges in the Greene Street of the Irishtowne". ^{[6] [7] [8] [17]}

The bridge has been rebuilt many times due to frequent floods, including the great floods of 1338, c. 1443, and 1526. ^{[6] [7]} Sir James Ware the historian mentions the Bishop of Ossory Oliver Cantwell O.P. rebuilding "the great bridge of Kilkenny, thrown down by an inundation about the year 1447". ^[10] By 1623 the bridge was in a '"decayed state"'; Kilkenny Archaeological Society has two unnamed depictions from 1655 and 1708. ^[1] It was recorded as 'out of repair' in 1710 and the earlier late-medieval bridge is recorded on Rocques' 1758 map. ^[1]

An archaeological excavation of part of the structure was carried out as part of the Kilkenny Flood Relief scheme. ^[9] One arch of the former bridge spans the Greensbridge mill‐race to the east; four or five of its central pier abutments are visible in low water. ^[9]

Great Flood of 1763

The Great Flood of 1763 on 2 October washed away Green's Bridge. John's Bridge, the city's other main bridge, was also destroyed. ^[10] The current Green's Bridge was rebuilt one hundred and twenty meters (390 ft) to the south. ^[1] The Bishop of Ossory Richard Pococke estimated the cost of the loss of the bridge to be £2,828, and the cost of the cleanup from the flood at £11,381. The Parliament of Ireland granted £5417 for the rebuilding of Green's Bridge and John's Bridge. Neighbouring churches collected £273, the lord lieutenant Earl of Northumberland gave £200, and the rest, £4967, was collected in taxes in the county. ^[4]

Design

Andrea Palladio's drawing of 'Ponte di Augusto e Tiberio' in Rimini

The Nore navigation engineer George Smith from Kilkenny was appointed to design the new bridge. ^{[18] [19] [20]} Smith had worked under George Semple during the building of Essex Bridge (now Grattan Bridge) in Dublin. ^{[21] [22]} Within three years of the Blackfriars Bridge competition, Smith had three notable stone bridge designs in County Kilkenny. ^[23] At Inistioge Bridge (1763), the nearest bridge to the mouth of the Nore, Smith used a design derived from Robert Mylne's design for Blackfriars Bridge. ^[12] In Kilkenny, Smith also designed the replacement for John's Bridge. ^{[18] [23] [24]}

For Green's Bridge, Smith designed an almost-exact copy of Bridge of Tiberius (Italian : Ponte di Augusto e Tiberio) in Rimini, Italy, as described by Andrea Palladio's (1508–1580) in I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura (1570) (The Four Books of Architecture). ^{[12] [25]} Smith's design, which was built with rubble limestone, incorporated five elliptical arches with cut-limestone Gibbs surrounds and dressed squared limestone soffits. ^[3] With three central arches and two smaller arches it is decorated with pedimented aedicules and doric columns. ^{[13] [3]} It has tooled limestone ashlar triangular cut-waters. ^[3] In 1835, the bridge was renovated with two random rubble limestone parapets with coping. ^{[1] [3]} As well as the five arches there is also a pair of elliptical arches over a culvert, one of which has been blocked with concrete. ^[3]

The bridge was temporally remodelled in 1969, when the missing parapet on the north (upstream) facade of the bridge was removed and a cantilevered steel walkway and services were added. ^{[6] [13]} These alteration works had a negative impact on the composition of the bridge. ^{[3] [13]}

Construction

Green's Bridge in flower.

The task of building the bridge went to William Colles (30 August 1702 – 8 March 1770), ^[11] a building contractor and entrepreneur from Kilkenny ^[11] who owned a marble works at Millmount about 1.9 miles (3 km) downstream of Kilkenny and Archersgrove Quarry on the outskirts of the city. ^{[11] [26]} Archersgrove Quarry produced Kilkenny marble, a fine-grained Lower Carboniferous limestone (Butlersgrove Formation); it has become known as the Black Quarry due to the colour of the final product. ^[26]

Colles is credited as the inventor of machinery for sawing, boring and polishing limestone using water mills; tasks that had previously been performed by hand. ^[11] A weir on the river provided water to drive reciprocating cross-cut steel band saws using sand as an abrasive, to cut the larger blocks. ^[26] The River Nore was used to transport large blocks from the quarry by means of horse-drawn floats and/or barges. ^[26]

Bridge complex

Green's Bridge

Green's Bridge complex also includes a late medieval bridge, a medieval mill stream, and a watermill. ^{[9] [16] [27]} Between the current bridge and the late medieval bridge, a watermill is depicted on Rocques' 1758 map, and the Civil Survey also describes a watermill "standing upon Grene's Bridge". ^[27]

As part of the Kilkenny Flood Relief Scheme, an archaeological examination of the late medieval bridge was undertaken. ^[6] This revealed two piers, two sections of collapsed masonry, and a bridge abutment from the 16th century bridge. ^[9] A post‐medieval mill building with associated river bank revetment walls were also found. ^[9] A small section of the millstream was re‐opened at Greensbridge mill during the archaeological examination. ^[16]

The medieval millstream was a part of the medieval watermill at Green's Bridge and for the Maudlin mills; evidence suggests it was constructed in the 12th century and associated with the Augustinian Priory of St Johns. ^[16] It ran along the eastern bank of the River Nore from an inlet at Friar's Inch, under Noremount, and re-entered below Green's Bridge. ^[16]

A lower section flowed as far as the Maudlin mills to the south. ^[16] Included on Rocque's 1758 map and the First Edition Ordnance Survey Map, of the 0.68 miles (1.1 km) of millstream, much of the upper section can still be seen. Most of the town section, however, has been filled in and built upon. ^[16] In John Street, much of the mill‐stream was walled and was crossed by the "Little Bridge". ^[16]

See also

• List of bridges in the Republic of Ireland
• History of Kilkenny
• Roman architecture

Notes

1. (Devine et al. 2009, p. 94, KN‐130) Green's Bridge KN‐130 Sources (Craig 1982, p. 279), (Tierney 1996, p. 24‐27), (NIAH, NIAH12004007), (Kilkenny County Council & Heritage Office 2014), (Hamond 1990 IAS), (Devine et al. 2009, p. 148,149,174,175, Maps 24,25,50,51), (Devine et al. 2009, p. 95, Figures 96,97).
2. (Kilkenny County Council & Heritage Office 2014, rps) Green's Bridge (D4)
3. (NIAH, Green's Bridge Reg. No. 12004007.) Green's Bridge (12004007)
4. Vallencey 1786, pp. 452–453, pg452
5. (Craig 1982, p. 279)
6. Keane, Sean. "Green's Bridge, Kilkenny brought to its knees". Kilkenny, Ireland: Kilkenny People . Retrieved 1 June 2016.
7. Hogan 1884, pp. 186–187
8. (Tierney 1996, p. 24‐27)
9. Devine et al. 2009, Vol 2. Sources Stevens 2002d; (Farrelly, O'Reilly & Loughran 1993, p. 35), (Ó Drisceoil et al. 2008, p. 34,57,67,95,116,134,199, KKAP‐126), (Devine et al. 2009, p. 148,149,174,175, Maps 24,25,50,51).
10. (Stewart 1797, p. xxii)
11. (Rowan 2012, COLLES, WILLIAM)
12. (Ruddock 1979, p. 105)
13. "The architecture of Green's Bridge, Kilkenny". canicopolis.ie. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
14. (Room 2006)
15. (KAS 1954)
16. Devine et al. 2009, p. 93, Vol 2. Green's Bridge medieval mill stream (KN‐127) " Sources Doyle 1985,149; (Farrelly, O'Reilly & Loughran 1993, p. 37), First Edition Ordnance Survey map, (Ó Drisceoil et al. 2008 KKAP‐393), (Ó Drisceoil et al. 2008 UAS‐43), (Devine et al. 2009, p. 148,149,174,175, Maps 24,25,50,51).
17. Egan
18. (Rowan 2012, SMITH, GEORGE)
19. NLI MS. 15,058 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc. 2008/44).
20. (Rowan 2012, OCKENDEN, WILLIAM,)
21. (Rowan 2012, SEMPLE, GEORGE)
22. (Cox & Goul 1998, pp. 93–94)
23. Tighe 1802, p. 563 (illus.).
24. (Tighe 1802, p. 136)
25. (Palladio 1570)
26. "KILKENNY - COUNTY GEOLOGICAL SITE REPORT" (PDF). gsi.ie.
27. (Devine et al. 2009, p. 94, KN‐129) Green's Bridge watermill (possible) KN‐129 Sources (Farrelly, O'Reilly & Loughran 1993, p. 36), (Ó Drisceoil et al. 2008 KKAP‐337), (Ó Drisceoil et al. 2008 UAS‐42), (Devine et al. 2009, p. 148,149,174,175, Maps 24,25,50,51).

References

• Craig, Maurice (1982), The architecture of Ireland : from the earliest times to 1880, Dublin: Eason, OCLC   9223987 .
• Devine, Emma; Jennings, Richard; Lenehan, Jimmy; Ó Drisceoil, Cóilín (2009). "Built Heritage Inventory" (PDF). Heritage Audit River Nore. Ireland: Heritage Office, Kilkenny County Council.
• Hamond, Fred (1990), Industrial Archaeological Survey of Kilkenny (PDF), Ireland: Kilkenny County Council.
• Hogan, John (1884), Kilkenny: The ancient city of Ossory, the seat of its kings, the see of its bishops and the site of its cathedral. (PDF), Kilkenny: P.M. Egan, pp. 186–187, OCLC   4224108 .
• Ó Drisceoil, Cóilín; Bradley, John; Jennings, Richard; McCullough, Leah; Healy, John (2008), The Kilkenny Archaeological Project (KKAP) (PDF), Kilkenny, Ireland: Kilkenny Archaeology, archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2016, retrieved 11 July 2016.
• Kilkenny County Council; Heritage Office (2014), Record of Protected Structures in Kilkenny City (PDF), Kilkenny, Ireland.
• NIAH, National Inventory of Architectural Heritage Building Survey, Ireland: Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service, archived from the original on 6 June 2016, retrieved 11 June 2016.

Further reading

• Cox, Ronald C; Goul, Michael H (1998). Civil engineering heritage. / Ireland. London: Thomas Telford for the Institution of Civil Engineers (Great Britain). OCLC   783093683..
• Graves, James; Prim, J.G.A. (1857). The history, architecture and antiquities of the cathedral church of st. Canice, Kilkenny. Kilkenny: Hodges, Smith, & Company. p. 331..
• Palladio, Andrea (1570). I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura (PDF) (in Italian). OCLC   7235326..
• Ruddock, Ted (1979). Arch Bridges and Their Builders 1735-1835. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   0-521-21816-0. OCLC   3447021..
• Rowan, Ann Martha (2012), Dictionary of Irish Architects : 1720 - 1940, Dublin: Irish Architectural Archive, OCLC   820381559 .
• Tighe, William (1802). Statistical Observations relative to the County of Kilkenny (PDF). Dublin: Graisberry and Campbell. OCLC   65239312..
• Stewart, Alexander (1797). Topographia Hibernica, or The Topography of Ireland, Ancient and Modern. Ireland. OCLC   681298751..
• Room, Adrian (2006). Placenames of the World (2 ed.). McFarland & Co Inc. ISBN   978-0-7864-2248-7.
• Vallencey, Charles (1786). Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis. Ireland: Luke White.
• KAS, Kilkenny Archaeological Society (1954). "Old Kilkenny Review". Old Kilkenny Review (7). Kilkenny Archaeological Society.

Unpublished

• Farrelly, J.; O'Reilly, B.; Loughran, B. (1993). The Urban Archaeological Survey County Kilkenny. Dublin: Office of Public Works.
• Tierney, Ann (1996). Survey of the Bridges of the Nore in County Kilkenny. p. 24‐27.

External links

• Green's Bridge at Structurae
• Green's Bridge, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny from buildingsofireland.ie
• The Bridges of Kilkenny from askaboutireland.ie
• The Nore and its Bridges from heritageinschools.ie
• The architecture of Green's Bridge, Kilkenny from canicopolis.ie