Athlone Railway Bridge


The Athlone Railway Bridge, also known as the White Bridge, is a railway bridge over the River Shannon at Athlone, Ireland.

History and Technical Details

The bridge was built in 1851 and took 18 months to complete. The bridge is long. It was designed by G.W. Hemans, and built with a central span which can be opened to accommodate tall sailing craft. The iron-work was shipped to Limerick and then was transferred to Athlone by barge. The twelve cylindrical pillars are each in diameter. The opening central span is in length, but this was changed to a fixed section in 1972.
The bridge is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage under number 15004129.