Oak Park Bridge, Carlow
From Graces Guide
This 40 ft span iron bridge was erected in 1818, crossing a stream on the estate of Mr. Bruen or Brewing.
It is the second oldest known iron bridge in Ireland, after Liffey Bridge in Dublin. However, the castings for both were produced in 1816: the Oak Park bridge was seen in manufacture at the Darby's Coalbrookdale foundry, some of the ribs having been cast, while the Liffey Bridge was 'likewise in hand' [1]
Believed to have been designed by George Papworth [2]. The bridge has a superficial resemblance to other small Coalbrookdale iron bridges, with the pattern of diminishing diameter circles in the spandrels (the spaces between the arch and the roadway), but the ribs are pierced, giving them an unusually delicate appearance.
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