Drumragh Bridge, Blackfort Road, Omagh, Co Tyrone, BT79 1PR

Drumragh Bridge is a four-span road bridge, built around 1800, carrying Blackfort Road over the Drumragh River. It is a robust example of early-nineteenth century engineering, notable for its size and simplicity of construction. Historically, the bridge represents the development of the road network in County Tyrone.

The bridge features random rubble abutments, spandrels, and parapets. Some cement repairs and rubble coping are present. It has four round-headed arches with rubble voussoirs over the river, although the south arch has replacement ashlar sandstone voussoirs. V-shaped cutwaters with sandstone quoins are present on the piers, and the soffits are of rubble construction. A rubble wall continues to the field to the north, incorporating two small arches with rubble voussoirs, with concrete repairs to the surmounting parapet. The carriageway is approximately 6 metres wide and slightly humped, due to the larger central arches. Coursed rubble walling is visible to the southwest, and hedging to the southeast.

The bridge is situated in a rural area. To the southwest, rubble walling encloses Drumragh graveyard; agricultural land is enclosed by hedging to the north and south. The bridge is captioned “Drumragh Bridge” on the first edition Ordnance Survey map and is described in the OS Memoirs as being of substantial stonework. A statistical survey from 1802 indicated that roads and bridges in the county were well maintained, and another source confirms that Tyrone was subscribing significant funds for road and bridge construction at the time, facilitated by the plentiful availability of materials. Drumragh Bridge is of industrial archaeological interest and retains its original function as a road bridge.