300-year-old Ardstraw bridge’s important role in local history

AT THE heart of Ardstraw stands a bridge that has borne witness to centuries of conflict, tragedy and community life.

Dating back to the 16th century, the six-arch stone bridge is a reminder of the area’s clan-era heritage. The narrow yet lengthy structure seen today was rebuilt around 1700 using rubble stone, though its first recorded mention goes back further still.

The ‘Annals of the Four Masters’, a medieval chronicle of Irish history, recalls how the bridge once served as a stage for clan feuds and reconciliation. According to the annals, warring O’Donnell and O’Neill factions finally met at Ardstraw Bridge, agreeing peace terms and pledging to stand as godfathers to each other’s children.

In folklore, the bridge is also remembered for its role during the journey of King William en route to the Battle of the Boyne.

Apparently, Billy amassed his forces on the bridge as a show of force to King William of Orange and the local people who bore witness.

By the early 19th century, the bridge was in disrepair.

In 1808, John Hamilton, the first Marquis of Abercorn, funded a major reconstruction after his agent warned of its ‘serious inconvenience’ if lost.

The agent wrote,, “I am very uneasy also about Ardstraw Bridge, the want of which will be felt as a serious inconvenience to your Lordship.

“I was thinking that if your Lordship were to advance £100 or £150, a mason would be found to rebuild it upon the faith of the county presenting it in two years.”

And so the deed was fulfilled and the bridge was rebuilt from rubble stone over six arches – as we see today. In more recent times, the bridge has served as a popular salmon fishing spot.

It also became a pick-up point for buses advertised in the UlsterHerald during the 1940s and 1950s, taking locals to see big showbands such as The Plattermen.

But the bridge’s narrowness posed dangers in the age of cars.

In 1944, a seven-year-old child was fatally crushed against the wall when a driver attempted to overtake his donkey cart.

Nowadays, the bridge remains a symbol of local heritage and community pride. In the early 2000s, Ardstraw residents organised a public celebration to highlight its long history, lighting up the structure as part of local festivities.

Strabane District Council chairman Ignatius Murtagh praised the community’s efforts at the time, saying, “The way you have maintained the ancient monastic site and graveyard and the historic bridge is a credit in heritage terms.

“This project has been a role model for other community associations to follow.”