Killaloe Bridge
bridge in County Tipperary, Ireland
Killaloe Bridge is a bridge over the River Shannon between Ballina in County Tipperary and Killaloe, County Clare in Ireland. Built on the site of an earlier structure (dating to c. 1650), the eighteenth-century bridge has thirteen arches and includes a lifting section that was added in 1929. Following the opening of a new road bridge nearby in May 2025, Killaloe Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in October 2025 and is open only for pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge is a protected structure, listed on the Record of Protected Structures by both Clare County Council (#210) and Tipperary County Council (#S672).
Monument
An ornate monument in the middle of the bridge commemorates four Irish Republican Army members who were shot on the bridge in 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. There is also a plaque recording the 1825 partial rebuild of the bridge.
Eel management programme
A trap and transport scheme is in force on the Shannon as part of an eel management programme following the discovery of reducing populations within the River Shannon. This scheme is intended to ensure safe passage for young eels between Killaloe Bridge and the Shannon Estuary.
New bridge crossing
In the early 21st century, Clare County Council and North Tipperary County Council presented proposals for a new road to bypass Killaloe, including a new Shannon bridge crossing, approximately 1 km south of the existing bridge. Amendments were made to the local area plans, and a mechanism for enforcing compulsory purchase order was confirmed in March 2013.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Killaloe Bridge” as bridge in County Tipperary, Ireland. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as bridge in County Tipperary, Ireland. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q17100358. Authority coordinates are 52.808, -8.439. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1650, 1929, 2025 and 1920.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Killaloe Bridge”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Killaloe Bridge primary sources, Killaloe Bridge archive and Killaloe research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Killaloe Bridge”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Killaloe Bridge” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.