Canal Bridge, Clonfad, Newtownbutler, Co Fermanagh, BT92 6EB

This is a twin-arched canal bridge located near Newtownbutler, Co Fermanagh, constructed between 1825 and 1839 as part of the now disused Ulster Canal, which ran between Charlemont and Wattle Bridge. The northern portion of the bridge lies within Co Monaghan. The bridge is of regularly-laid dressed limestone blocks and survives in a derelict condition, retaining principal elements of a high standard. Its design features dropped soffits, a characteristic shared with only one other structure in Northern Ireland – the triple-arched aqueduct on the Ulster Canal near Caledon.

The two shallow segmental arches carry the former canal route over the Finn River. The wing walls, built of more coarsely dressed and randomly laid blocks, curve outwards in quarter circles and terminate in square piers with oversailing dressed copings. A chamfered cutwater is present on the upstream (southwest) face. Only fragments of the random rubble parapet walls remain. The bridge is heavily overgrown. The route of the canal is clearly discernible as a drainage ditch on the Co Monaghan side.

The bridge was designed by William Cubitt, with William Dargan acting as the principal contractor, both figures better known for their involvement in railway construction. Although not depicted on the 1834 Ordnance Survey map, its construction is documented in later editions of 1857 and 1907, where it is referred to as an “Aqueduct." The Ulster Canal ceased operation in 1931. The bridge exemplifies industrial archaeological interest.