Stragawna Bridge, beside 39 Stragawna Road, Kinawley, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, BT92

Stragawna Bridge

A late 18th-century twin-arch masonry road bridge spanning the Swanlinbar (Clodagh) River, located 1.5 kilometres south-east of Kinawley on the Derrylin-Belburbet road. The bridge stands in open countryside surrounded by fields on all sides, with its upstream face oriented south-west and downstream face north-east.

The bridge comprises two equal-sized stone arches with dressed stone voussoirs. The abutments, pier and arch soffits are now covered in gunite reinforcement, obscuring whether the original masonry was random or squared rubble. Stones projecting from both arches at spring level indicate the former presence of timber falsework. At the upstream and downstream ends of the pier between the arches stands a triangular cutwater of roughly-squared stone blocks rising just above arch spring level.

The downstream spandrel is largely obscured by ivy, though the upstream spandrel shows clear evidence of substantial later reconstruction. A water pipe, carried on metal brackets affixed to the downstream face, detracts from the bridge's original character. The parabolic parapets are approximately 5 metres apart, constructed of random rubble with tabular stone copings. Their outer faces are reinforced in places with rubble masonry buttresses. The original parapets were shorter and terminated in circular piers, which survive at both upstream ends and at the north-west end of the downstream parapet. Extensive cementitious mortar indicates substantial recent rebuilding. Set into the road face of the upstream parapet is a datestone reading "Built / by / William Irwin / 1785", though this appears to be inscribed on a concrete replacement block rather than original stone. A valve controlling water flow in the water pipe has been set into the opposite parapet. The two-lane carriageway has a slightly humped profile as it crosses the structure. Metal signs at both ends read "Swanlinbar River".

Historical records show that an unnamed bridge was marked over the Clodagh River on Taylor and Skinner's 1777 road map, suggesting Stragawna Bridge was built as a replacement. The datestone confirms construction in 1785 by William Irwin. The bridge is explicitly cited in an 1807 presentment relating to road repairs, and described as being of "common structure" in the 1835 Ordnance Survey Memoir. In 1909, Lisnaskea Rural District Council agreed to raise the bridge's approaches and heighten its sidewalls to reduce the carriageway's humpback profile.

The bridge suffered significant damage during the border conflict. In November 1959, an explosion demolished 30 feet of parapet on either side and created two holes in the roadway. A second bombing in July 1961 created a crater between the two arches and destroyed 24 feet of parapet. Stragawna was among several bridges in the Border region targeted by the IRA during this period. Reconstruction followed both attacks, with substantial rebuilding of the parapets and at least one spandrel. A water pipe was laid across the river at this location in 1962 as part of the Derrylester-Kinawley District water scheme.

The bridge's original fabric—its abutments, pier and arches—possibly survives beneath the modern gunite reinforcement. However, the extensive alterations, concrete underpinning of the abutments and pier, the water pipe installation, and substantial post-1959 reconstruction have removed much authentic original material. Though of local historical interest, insufficient original fabric remains for the bridge to be considered of authentic special interest.