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VIDEO FROM THE HEART OF WEST BELFAST
I'm Billy Dickson BEM and wish to personally say -
1642 GREAT BRIDGE OF BELFAST.
Link to petition - CLICK HERE:
TO HAVE THE OLDEST EXISTING BRIDGE IN BELFAST & THE HISTORIC SITE AT THE BOYNE BRIDGE, SANDY ROW LISTED
We the undersigned, wish to record our opposition to the possible interference or removal of any part of the remains of the 1642 Great Bridge of Belfast, which became known by different names including Brick-kilm Bridge, Brickill Bridge, Brick-hill Bridge, Brickle Bridge, Salt Water Bridge and the present name of Boyne Bridge. The bridge is encased within the southern approach to the present 1936 Boyne Bridge and is the earliest surviving bridge in Belfast. We call upon the Department for Communities, Historic Environment Division to not only list the remains of the Great Bridge and possibly those of a 1611 bridge, but the historic site at which it is situated, as an ancient crossing place along with many associations with the many early developments in Belfast. The importance of the site is clearly outlined In George Ben's history of the town of Belfast, in which he went as far as saying that it represented what was then the town of Belfast. We also call for a significant feature to be constructed that would identify the location of the remains of the ancient bridge and the site.
Please sign our petition to let the Department for Communities, Historic Environment Division know that listing the historical remains and site are important to our heritage.
BRIDGE HISTORY:
In 1625 Arthur Chichester died and was succeeded by his brother Edward, Viscount Chichester of Carrickfergus. He constructed a new bridge across the Blackstaff consisting of three arches and named it 'The Great Bridge of Belfast. The structure received its first major test when Colonel Venables, Commander of Oliver Cromwell’s army, marched north from Drogheda. He brought with him a baggage train complete with heavy guns, crossed over the river and seized the town. The bridge had to be repaired afterwards. With the building of the Bridge over the Lagan in 1685 consisting of 21 arches, the word 'Great was dropped from the Viscount's bridge and it became known as 'Brickhill Bridge after the nearby 'Brick Pitts' (Moore, 1951).
Another army some 45 years later crossed over the bridge with the same intention of capturing the town. This time it was an Irish army of King James, who succeeded in taking the town for a short period. He then retreated across the bridge as the army of Schomberg advanced from the north Down in hot pursuit. The strength of the arches was once again put to the test, as teams of horses dragged the heavy cannons across it. Its name appears to have been changed, some years later when it became known as the 'Saltwater bridge' in acknowledgement of the point where the tidal waters of the estuary went no farther. In 1717 the Grand Jury made an assessment for building buttresses "to support the saltwater Bridge and for other repairs above the bridge" (Young, 1896). 1he bridge lacked a footpath and used angular recesses or niches above the piers.
Apart from facilitating the movement of men, animals and cannon, the bridge was used to carry water pipes across to serve the needs of the town’s population. The remains of these wooden pipes were discovered when a new bridge, christened the 'Boyne Bridge', was built across the river in 1935.
The bridge across the Blackstaff witnessed the comings and goings of herdsmen
and traders bringing their cattle, sheep and goods for sale at markets outside the walls of the settlement at the mouth of the Farset. It witnessed the approach of Kings and Generals, but surprisingly it was not the scene of any major battles despite its strategic
location. However, it did become the scene of sectarian rioting between mobs from the Roman Catholic Pound Loney and Protestants from Sandy Row in 1864. In more recent times, the bridge retained something of its former strategic importance when protests were
mounted at the foot of the bridge against outsiders coming in to buy property in Sandy Row.
Today the bridge from a historical perspective hides all that has happened at this crossing of ages past. All that remains are memories written down in journals and maps that bear scant testimony to the momentous events at this crossing where the tidal waters reached.
The above is from the book, RIVERS OF BELFAST by Des O'REILLY
boynebridge@yahoo.com
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Book by Mr. S. Shannon Millin, B.A. 1937
Page 60 and 61 ADDITIONAL SIDELIGHTS ON BELFAST HISTORY
In the early seventies of the last century, Mr. Thomas Gaffikin delivered a lecture on “Belfast Fifty Years Ago”, in which he says:
“The old Long Bridge was composed of twenty-one arches; it was very narrow; and had no footways. The breakwater or pier between some of the arches was carried up to the retaining wall and formed little angular recesses, which people sometimes had to step into when two conveyances were passing. Two of such niches are still to be seen on the old Salt Water Bridge, Sandy Row.”
That statement of Mr. Giffikin is corroborative proof that the original bridge had three arches, as each angular recess or niche was above a pier separating the arches and there was no occasion for a recess at either end. One of these arches had evidently disappeared during the sixty years that had ended in 1935 when the reconstruction of the Boyne Bridge was begun.
Fortunately, through the thoughtful foresight of Mr. A. H. George, one of the staff of the Municipal Museum, the outline of the original bridge has been preserved for all time by a photographic reproduction which shows not only the graceful curvature of its two remaining arches, but the angular recess on the roadway, used by pedestrians to avoid the vehicular traffic.
The photograph was taken on 21st June, 1935, before the old wooden pipe was removed from its original position, where it had lain for two and a half centuries. The pipe is placed from north to south and the tapering spigot is at the north end. The wooden pipe itself measures 14 feet, having a bore of 4 ½ inches while the thickness of the body is 2 inches. The men are engaged in sinking for the foundations of the pier which supports the Boyne Bridge on the south side of the main railroad to Dublin. From the position of the pipe it would seem that the line of wooden piping ran beneath the Great Northern Railroad, but whether the wooden pipes were removed at the time of forming the railroad is not known.
During the rebuilding of the Boyne Bridge, the Great Bridge of Belfast, alias Brickill Bridge, alias Salt Water Bridge, was incorporated in the reconstruction. Two of the original arches, built of local blue whinstone and covering a stretch of 46 feet from north to south, were then, according to Mr. Henry Martin, Senior Director of H. & J. Martin, Ltd., still good and sound. But to-day one lookes in vain for that sole survival of the seventeenth century Belfast. Build in 1642, during the troublesome times of the Rebellion of that period, it had more historic associations than any other part of the city. Its arches had resounded to the endless tramp of armies, marching to and from town; the structure had endured the weight of the Duke of Schomberg’s heavy artillery on his march southward to the Boyne; it was the route of William 111 and his attendant officers on 19th June, 1690, after landing at Carrickfergus five days earlier from the Mary Yacht, under the Command of Captain Grenville Collins, and resting in Belfast Castle during the interval; it was the direct road to Lisburn and the South of Ireland, to and from which the old Coach and Six trundle along with the occasional blast of the Coachman’s Horn; and underneath its curved arches flowed an ample supply of water from The Squire’s Hill, after the Clowney Water had joined the overflow from Truch Mill Dam to form the “Ryver of Owynvarra” which, for a lengthened period of time, was the driving power of Joy’s Paper Mill of vanished past. With all such venerable and historic associations the Great Bridge of Belfast has been, so to speak, buried alive in a concrete coffin, without a nameplate to indicate its former existence, or even its place of interment.
Boyne Bridge wooden pipes in Ulster Museum Store.
FundTheNINE
The people of this site should seriously consider starting a fundraiser to relocate the bridge like they did the original London Bridge as megaprojects always come out on top. Especially in this case.
Richard
piss cum, beans
Alister Hill
Save this bridge with such historical significance of carrying King William III's army that brought us all the victorious Glorious Revolution; which was freedom for all to worship God.
Jenny Lynn
Save Our History ,Save Our Bridge
James wilson
This is part of our history and in any other country demolition of history would be challenged. Its time to challenge, keep the bridge intact
Daren Field
History should always be saved for future generations
Siobhan McElroy
What a loss this would be to everyone who calls this bridge home.
James A. Duly
The bridge is too important a facet of Belfast history to lose.
Ellen Thompson
Leave the boyne bridge alone it been there along time, and is part of history.
sharon leetch
It really needs to be saved
carol leneghan
be sad to see it go,
annie mcloughlin
Its a Land mark, nothing secterian about it.
John McCann
Walked over the Boyne bridge countless times.
Once it’s gone so is our history preserve the Boyne bride & it’s history
David Wright
The destruction of this bridge would be another step in the ruining of this once-vibrant area. We could expect the next step to be student housing and the loss of all local character. Stop it now!
Sylvia Ewings Mcainsh
My great great great grandad would have crossed that bridge
Alexander Ewings Belfast then Scotland I will sign in his memory 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Karen Ardrey
We need to preserve our history
warren patterson
History is precious and we must do all we can to preserve it, list the bridge by all means and allow us as a city to make more from it in terms of a tourist attraction
Alan R Gault
We should try to protect all parts of our shared history. We need this saved and kept in good condition.
george mole
Historically this needs to be preserved for those who come after us.
Jim Oneill
I used to go here as my brother and his family stayed there places like this should be respected
Jackie barr
100 percent agree, SAVE THE BRIDGE.
George Laverty
Our History Our Heritage Our Future
Barbara Harvey
Don't let this special part of our history disappear.
Sandra coulter
Don't let another price of our history disapear
Archibald Reid
Surely this has to saved for it's historic to the area.
alan toal
Keep up the good work, save the bridge
Alan Burns
This part of history must be kept.
Alexandra Jessiman
Save this historic site
George Wilson
The importance of this site should always be remembered
Heather Potter
Save this important piece of history
Noeline McConvey
This bridge must be saved as a piece of history in this country.
Robert. Mcwilliams
Please save our bridge it’s been there longer that me please keep it for the people of sandy row
GRAEME ARMOUR
Save the bridge 🇬🇧
Maureen Cabrey
It is hard to believe that such an historic site is even under threat.
Valerie McCann
Think it’s shocking that they are planning on taking such an historic part off Sandy Row away don’t agree with it at all.its a shambles.
James Gowdy
no surrender
Jim Gillespie
Please conserve the bridge I was born and reared in Sandy Row and have so many memories of it especially the amount of workers who used it to get to and from work in the 60s
Robert Scott Armour
Please don't knock down a great part of Belfast history it was part of my growing up and I hope in my visit home .
robert shanks
Save the Boyne bridge
ROBERT MORRISON
IT MUST BE KEPT PART OF OUR CULTURE AND HISTORY
Thomas Matchett
Save the Boyne Bridge
Stephen quinn
Save the Boyne bridge
Janis Hughes
Keep the Boyne Bridge. Belfast has changed beyond recognition. We’ve already lost the Opera House, the Ritz and the GNR. KEEP THE BOYNE BRIDGE
Iris Gallagher
Bridge must stay, plenty of other places for a hub,
Thomas Raymond Mackin
Born & spent first 12 years in good old Sandy Row. The Boyne bridge MUST stay. No IF,s Buts or Maybe,s
Brian Blakely
History History History
Deborah Parr
Definitely preserve! What the Luftwaffe and IRA didn't destroy, the planners are finishing off. It must be preserved!! Look at the Skyline n New York - was an old overhead railway - now a park
Terry McCorran
We lost to much of historical Belfast to Bombs, we need our old City history maintained.
Colin McLeod
With a little imagination the remains of the old bridge can be preserved without interfering with the transport hub.
Maureen Metherell
Hasn't enough of Belfast history been destroyed already??
Ivy Donnelly
Don’t let the bridge just be a memory of the past.
Lorraine strain rodgers
Born and bred beside this bridge and also playing there many a day, it should be nothing else only the Boone bridge.
Dawn Hutton
KEEP OUR BRIDGE
Thomas Raymond Mackin
Being born in Sandy Row Imust support this petition as it's part of the Orange Heritage & must be kept
Margaret Craig
We need this great bridge.
Helen Firth
I fully support the residents fighting to save these Bridges, they are a part of our past and should be preserved, I no longer live in Belfast but it will always be home, preserve don't destroy .
Thomas McAuley
Mum is 91 now and recalls skating down the bridge and across Linfield Road when she was a young girl. Bridge should remain.
Hilary Taylor (Humphreys)
Childhood memories. Boyne Bridge should remain.
Murray Power
Both the 1936 bridge and, in particular the earlier remains that it encompasses - some of the oldest in Belfast - are important heritage structures that ought to be retained in any redevelopment.
Jim Gillespie
Born and raised in Sandy Row please preserve the bridge.So many people lost to the area let them keep a memory of tho old place
trevorhall@yahoo.co.uk
The bridge needs to be saved for the historical heart of Belfast. The GNR has been able to operate under the bridge without any problems why can't the new traffic hub do likewise.
Samuel Morrison
Good campaign.
Stephen Irwin
save the Boyne bridge
W G White
The bridge is an important part of South Belfast and they should build the road elsewhere.
Alexander Dewar
this is part of our protestant history and should be kept
Elizabeth Copperwaite
This bridge is a part of history,it should be saved for future generations