Shannonbridge
Encyclopedia
Shannonbridge is a village located on the River Shannon
, at the junction of the R444
and R357
regional road
s in County Offaly
, Ireland
. It lies within the townland
of Raghra , at the borders of counties Offaly, Galway
and Roscommon
, with the majority of the population living east of the bridge in County Offaly. It has a population of approximately 600, and is predominantly low rise and low-density. It contains a number of different building styles, with two housing estates situated within the village. Its location along Ireland’s largest river and its proximity to Clonmacnoise
have contributed to tourism being a key factor in its local economy. It is rich in heritage and the village is flanked by an important nature conservation area – the Shannon Callows. The physical environment consists of the River Shannon, callows, boglands and the Esker Riada
(a major routeway in the 18th century). The village has one of the oldest bridges still in use over the River Shannon, completed in 1757.
The monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise is some 7 km upriver.
Shannonbridge was heavily fortified by the British
in the Napoleonic era. Some of the fortifications, including a fort that now houses a restaurant, are still visible today on the west bank of the river.
At Curleys Island between Shannonbridge and Clonmacnoise, there is a legendary ford of Snámh Dá Éan ("swim two birds"). It was here that a proselytising Saint Patrick
crossed the Shannon into Connacht
and much later the Anglo-Normans considered the ford important enough to be guarded by one of their campaign forts. Accordingly, they constructed the great Motte of Clonburren on the Roscommon side of the river, within sight of an even then declining early Christian
nunnery.
The main employers in Shannonbridge are the Electricity Supply Board
's new generating station, Bord na Mona
which harvests the peat used in the station from the surrounding area and Tourism. There is also a large farming community present. The nearby towns of Ballinasloe, county Galway and Athlone, County Westmeath
serve as district centres for the village.
An Electricity Supply Board peat-fired power station with a capacity of 150 megawatts is located about a kilometre downriver. The peat is supplied from the Blackwater Bog peatlands, managed by Bord na Móna
. The Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway
(a narrow gauge railway) is principally used to transport the peat to the power station and also provides passenger tours of the peat lands for visitors.
Shannonbridge Potteries is located just outside the village and is well known locally.
Their products have become demanded with sales around the globe. Their factory shop has a very extensive range of pottery and is open to the public. Both visitors and locals often visit the pottery shop and it also is situated close the Bog Rail Tour, the River Shannon and the ancient ruins of Clonmacnoise.
An increasing number of services are available including two shops, a post office, three pubs, an À la carte
restaurant, a fast food restaurant Supermacs, and a butcher.
. Many tourists come to Shannonbridge by cruiser
on the River Shannon, a mere stonesthrow from the Main Street. A tourist office is located at the west end of the Main Street. The renowned monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise is some 7 km upriver and attracts approximately 100,000 visitors per annum.
Shannonbridge tennis court was built in 1988. The tennis court was built with funds from the national lottery on land leased from the ESB. The court is located at the eastern end of the village adjacent to St. Kierans Park.
Shannonbridge is a particularly popular destination for angling
. For many years now, anglers from all over the world have been returning to once again plunder the incredible array of waters that ebb and flow a mere stone's throw from the village's Main Street.
The River Shannon is Ireland's major waterway, and as a fishery, boasts bountiful stocks of bream, rudd
, rudd/bream hybrids, tench
, perch
, pike
and also stocks of trout
, eel
and salmon
. In addition, excellent fishing can be enjoyed in the rivers Suck
and Brosna
and in the Grand Canal. All of which can be found within a ten 15 km radius of Shannonbridge. Lough Ree
, internationally know to anglers is 30 km from the town.
The Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway Bog
Tour is a 45 minute train journey giving a guided 9-km tour out across a working environment, a cutaway area of preserved peatlands showing 12,000 years of history, heritage and archaeology. About 32,000 visitors go on the tour per annum.
The Shannonbridge Pottery is nearby.
In August 2009, Ireland's first ever Climate Camp was held in the village, bringing activists from all over the country to converge in a field next to the West Offaly Power Station. For a week they protested against the extraction and burning of peat in the station, on the grounds that it releases large quantities of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. They held workshops on the general themes of sustainability and climate change.
including some rare and very interesting plants. Some, which can be found in this area, include various types of algae
, reeds
and grasses. The Shannon offers a good cross-section of the fauna
of Ireland. There are brown hares, foxes, mink
and frogs etc. There are butterflies, dragonflies, beetles and in the Shannon; mussels, snails and leeches. Many different varieties of birds live on the Shannon such as swans (Berwicks, Mute and Whooper), moorhens, swallows, terns, ducks and the midlands are especially noted for corncrakes.
Peatlands which are prevalent in the area, are regarded by many scientists as important. Climatologists, archaeologists and biologists value the peat archives in the bogs for research purposes.
The Callows is a stretch of the River Shannon at Shannonbridge that has a very shallow gradient which results in seasonal flooding when heavy rain occurs. The outcome of this has resulted in the formation of the Callows (wet grassland areas) which are rich in flora and fauna and internationally recognised as a nature conservation area, designated as an (NHA) Natural Heritage Area, (SAC) Special Area of Conservation
and (SPA) Special Protection Area
. The Callows consist of grasses and sedges, meadowsweet
, ragged robin and a number of other vegetations which, when dried out in the summer months is utilised for agricultural activity (hay cutting, grazing).
The Corn Crake
which is rare and is protected nationally, is located in the Callows area. Duck, gulls, swan, and breeding waders including the Northern Lapwing
, Common Redshank
, Eurasian Curlew
and Common Sandpiper
are also sighted within the area.
club have one Offaly senior football championship title to their name, which they achieved in 1996 by defeating Tullamore
on a scoreline of 1-11 to 0-12. The club has provided many players to county teams and players from the club have won numerous medals with county teams. Pride of place must go to John Ryan who won an All - Ireland senior hurling
medal and a national football league medal in 1998. Players from the club have won three All - Ireland under 21 football medals, Leinster
football and hurling medals and Leinster vocational titles and colleges titles. Two players from the club, Vincent Mooney in 1991 and Anthony Kelly in 1996 have been chosen as Offaly footballer of the year. Shannonbridge G.A.A. Club has come to be established as one of the foremost clubs in the midlands.
In 1942, St. Ciaran's qualified for the county senior semi - final and defeated Walsh Island by 5 points. Walsh Island objected to father Willie Kinlough who lived just over the bridge and St. Ciaran's counter objected to a similar situation on the Walsh island team. A replay was ordered and this took place in Ballycumber
. Bertie Johnston was injured early in the game and St. Ciaran's lost by 5 points. An altercation took place between supporters after the game and following an investigation by the county board St. Ciaran's were suspended for two years. The club disbanded after this suspension and the footballers and hurlers of the parish had no club of their own.
In 1972 a small number of G.A.A. Players decided to try to start a club in the parish again.
1989, proved to be the year of the breakthrough for the club. There were victories for the first time ever with the junior championship, division 4 league and junior cup being won. Declan Mcevoy was captain in 1989 and was the first player to bring a county championship trophy back to the "bridge". The county championship final was won after a replay against Mucklagh on a score line of 1 - 12 to 1 - 6.
In 1996 the Dowling cup, the prize for the winners of the county senior football championship was brought back to Shannonbridge for the first time after a great victory over Tullamore. This was also the Offaly centenary football final. The final score was 1 - 11 to 0 - 12.
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
, at the junction of the R444
R444 road
The R444 road is a regional road in Ireland linking R357 at Shannonbridge, County Offaly with the N6 at Farnagh three kilometers west of Moate in County Westmeath.The road is long.-References:* – Department of Transport...
and R357
R357 road
The R357 road is a regional road in Ireland linking Athleague, County Roscommon and Blue Ball, County Offaly. It passes Ballinasloe, County Galway, crosses the River Shannon at Shannonbridge passes through Cloughan, County Offaly and then through the cutaway peatlands of Boora Bog to Blue Ball...
regional road
Regional road
A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...
s in County Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It lies within the townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Raghra , at the borders of counties Offaly, Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
and Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...
, with the majority of the population living east of the bridge in County Offaly. It has a population of approximately 600, and is predominantly low rise and low-density. It contains a number of different building styles, with two housing estates situated within the village. Its location along Ireland’s largest river and its proximity to Clonmacnoise
Clonmacnoise
The monastery of Clonmacnoise is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone....
have contributed to tourism being a key factor in its local economy. It is rich in heritage and the village is flanked by an important nature conservation area – the Shannon Callows. The physical environment consists of the River Shannon, callows, boglands and the Esker Riada
Esker Riada
Esker Riada, , is a system of ridges that stretch across the middle of Ireland, between Dublin and Galway.-Geography:The Esker Riada is a collection of eskers, that passes through the counties of Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Westmeath, Offaly, Roscommon and Galway...
(a major routeway in the 18th century). The village has one of the oldest bridges still in use over the River Shannon, completed in 1757.
The monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise is some 7 km upriver.
History
Shannonbridge gets its name from the bridge connecting County Offaly and County Roscommon. Rachra is generally considered the old name for Shannonbridge, but 'Shannonbridge' was adopted after the building of the bridge in 1757. The military may have initially constructed a village, the 'first Shannonbridge', in the vicinity of Temple Duff graveyard just south of the power station.Shannonbridge was heavily fortified by the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
in the Napoleonic era. Some of the fortifications, including a fort that now houses a restaurant, are still visible today on the west bank of the river.
At Curleys Island between Shannonbridge and Clonmacnoise, there is a legendary ford of Snámh Dá Éan ("swim two birds"). It was here that a proselytising Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
crossed the Shannon into Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
and much later the Anglo-Normans considered the ford important enough to be guarded by one of their campaign forts. Accordingly, they constructed the great Motte of Clonburren on the Roscommon side of the river, within sight of an even then declining early Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
nunnery.
Industry
Electricity Supply Board
The Electricity Supply Board , is a semi-state electricity company in Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a liberalised and competitive market...
's new generating station, Bord na Mona
Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna , abbreviated BNM, is a semi-state company in Ireland, created in 1946 by the Turf Development Act 1946. The company is responsible for the mechanised harvesting of peat, primarily in the Midlands of Ireland...
which harvests the peat used in the station from the surrounding area and Tourism. There is also a large farming community present. The nearby towns of Ballinasloe, county Galway and Athlone, County Westmeath
County Westmeath
-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...
serve as district centres for the village.
An Electricity Supply Board peat-fired power station with a capacity of 150 megawatts is located about a kilometre downriver. The peat is supplied from the Blackwater Bog peatlands, managed by Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna , abbreviated BNM, is a semi-state company in Ireland, created in 1946 by the Turf Development Act 1946. The company is responsible for the mechanised harvesting of peat, primarily in the Midlands of Ireland...
. The Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway
Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway
The Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway is a narrow gauge railway and former tourist attraction in Ireland. Primarily built as an industrial line for hauling newly-cut peat, this 3 ft gauge railway was operated by Bord na Móna and conveys visitors over a 9 km rail journey through Blackwater Bog,...
(a narrow gauge railway) is principally used to transport the peat to the power station and also provides passenger tours of the peat lands for visitors.
Shannonbridge Potteries is located just outside the village and is well known locally.
Their products have become demanded with sales around the globe. Their factory shop has a very extensive range of pottery and is open to the public. Both visitors and locals often visit the pottery shop and it also is situated close the Bog Rail Tour, the River Shannon and the ancient ruins of Clonmacnoise.
An increasing number of services are available including two shops, a post office, three pubs, an À la carte
À la carte
À la carte is a French language loan phrase meaning "according to the menu", and used in* A reference to a menu of items priced and ordered separately, i.e. the usual operation of restaurants * To order an item from the menu on its own, e.g...
restaurant, a fast food restaurant Supermacs, and a butcher.
Entertainment and tourism
At night the picturesque village of Shannonbridge turns into a buzzing hive of chat and good humour with the various pubs offering music, mirth, banter and much-loved traditional Irish stoutStout
Stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically 7% or 8%, produced by a brewery....
. Many tourists come to Shannonbridge by cruiser
Cabin cruiser
A cabin cruiser is a type of power boat that provides accommodation for its crew and passengers inside the structure of the craft.A cabin cruiser usually ranges in size from in length, with larger pleasure craft usually considered yachts. Many cabin cruisers can be recovered and towed with a...
on the River Shannon, a mere stonesthrow from the Main Street. A tourist office is located at the west end of the Main Street. The renowned monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise is some 7 km upriver and attracts approximately 100,000 visitors per annum.
Shannonbridge tennis court was built in 1988. The tennis court was built with funds from the national lottery on land leased from the ESB. The court is located at the eastern end of the village adjacent to St. Kierans Park.
Shannonbridge is a particularly popular destination for angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
. For many years now, anglers from all over the world have been returning to once again plunder the incredible array of waters that ebb and flow a mere stone's throw from the village's Main Street.
The River Shannon is Ireland's major waterway, and as a fishery, boasts bountiful stocks of bream, rudd
Rudd
The common rudd Scardinius erythropthalmus is a bentho-pelagic freshwater fish, widely spread in Europe and middle Asia, around the basins of the North, Baltic, Black, Caspian and Aral seas.-Artificially introduced:...
, rudd/bream hybrids, tench
Tench
The tench or doctor fish is a freshwater and brackish water fish of the cyprinid family found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including the British Isles east into Asia as far as the Ob and Yenisei Rivers. It is also found in Lake Baikal...
, perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
, pike
Esox
Esox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...
and also stocks of trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
and salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
. In addition, excellent fishing can be enjoyed in the rivers Suck
River Suck
The River Suck is a river in Ireland, approx. in length.It is the main tributary of the River Shannon. It meets the River Swilly a few kilometres north of the village of Shannonbridge to form the Suck-Swilly, which becomes the River Shannon....
and Brosna
River Brosna
The River Brosna is a river in Ireland, flowing through County Westmeath and County Offaly.The river rises in Lough Owel north of Mullingar and is a tributary of the River Shannon. It meets the Shannon at Shannon Harbour.-Course:...
and in the Grand Canal. All of which can be found within a ten 15 km radius of Shannonbridge. Lough Ree
Lough Ree
Lough Ree is a lake in the midlands of Ireland, the second of the three major lakes on the River Shannon. Lough Ree is the second largest lake on the Shannon after Lough Derg. The other two major lakes are Lough Allen to the north, and Lough Derg to the south, there are also several minor lakes...
, internationally know to anglers is 30 km from the town.
The Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway Bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
Tour is a 45 minute train journey giving a guided 9-km tour out across a working environment, a cutaway area of preserved peatlands showing 12,000 years of history, heritage and archaeology. About 32,000 visitors go on the tour per annum.
The Shannonbridge Pottery is nearby.
In August 2009, Ireland's first ever Climate Camp was held in the village, bringing activists from all over the country to converge in a field next to the West Offaly Power Station. For a week they protested against the extraction and burning of peat in the station, on the grounds that it releases large quantities of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. They held workshops on the general themes of sustainability and climate change.
Flora and fauna
The River Shannon (Sionainn or Sionna in Irish) is, at 386 km, Ireland's longest river. The Shannon provides many different habitats for a wide variety of species of floraFlora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
including some rare and very interesting plants. Some, which can be found in this area, include various types of algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
, reeds
Reed bed
Reed beds are natural habitats found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions andestuaries. Reed beds are part of a succession from young reed colonising open water or wet ground through a gradation of increasingly dry ground...
and grasses. The Shannon offers a good cross-section of the fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
of Ireland. There are brown hares, foxes, mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
and frogs etc. There are butterflies, dragonflies, beetles and in the Shannon; mussels, snails and leeches. Many different varieties of birds live on the Shannon such as swans (Berwicks, Mute and Whooper), moorhens, swallows, terns, ducks and the midlands are especially noted for corncrakes.
Peatlands which are prevalent in the area, are regarded by many scientists as important. Climatologists, archaeologists and biologists value the peat archives in the bogs for research purposes.
The Callows is a stretch of the River Shannon at Shannonbridge that has a very shallow gradient which results in seasonal flooding when heavy rain occurs. The outcome of this has resulted in the formation of the Callows (wet grassland areas) which are rich in flora and fauna and internationally recognised as a nature conservation area, designated as an (NHA) Natural Heritage Area, (SAC) Special Area of Conservation
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
and (SPA) Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
. The Callows consist of grasses and sedges, meadowsweet
Meadowsweet
Filipendula ulmaria, commonly known as Meadowsweet, is a perennial herb in the family Rosaceae that grows in damp meadows. It is native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia...
, ragged robin and a number of other vegetations which, when dried out in the summer months is utilised for agricultural activity (hay cutting, grazing).
The Corn Crake
Corn Crake
The Corn Crake, Corncrake or Landrail is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the winter...
which is rare and is protected nationally, is located in the Callows area. Duck, gulls, swan, and breeding waders including the Northern Lapwing
Northern Lapwing
The Northern Lapwing , also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. It is common through temperate Eurasia....
, Common Redshank
Common Redshank
The Common Redshank or simply Redshank is an Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :...
, Eurasian Curlew
Eurasian Curlew
The Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia...
and Common Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
The Common Sandpiper is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the Spotted Sandpiper , make up the genus Actitis. They are parapatric and replace each other geographically; stray birds of either species may settle down with breeders of the other and hybridize...
are also sighted within the area.
GAA Club
Shannonbridge Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club have one Offaly senior football championship title to their name, which they achieved in 1996 by defeating Tullamore
Tullamore
Tullamore is a town in County Offaly, in the midlands of Ireland. It is Offaly's county town and the centre of the district.Tullamore is an important commercial and industrial centre in the region. Major international employers in the town include 'Tyco Healthcare' and 'Boston Scientific'. In...
on a scoreline of 1-11 to 0-12. The club has provided many players to county teams and players from the club have won numerous medals with county teams. Pride of place must go to John Ryan who won an All - Ireland senior hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
medal and a national football league medal in 1998. Players from the club have won three All - Ireland under 21 football medals, Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
football and hurling medals and Leinster vocational titles and colleges titles. Two players from the club, Vincent Mooney in 1991 and Anthony Kelly in 1996 have been chosen as Offaly footballer of the year. Shannonbridge G.A.A. Club has come to be established as one of the foremost clubs in the midlands.
History
Prior to 1929 Clonfanlough had its own team affiliated and Shannonbridge had no team. In 1929 master Lane, principal of Shannonbridge national school, was the prime mover in affiliating a parish club known as St. Ciaran's.In 1942, St. Ciaran's qualified for the county senior semi - final and defeated Walsh Island by 5 points. Walsh Island objected to father Willie Kinlough who lived just over the bridge and St. Ciaran's counter objected to a similar situation on the Walsh island team. A replay was ordered and this took place in Ballycumber
Ballycumber
Ballycumber is a village located where the R436 regional road crosses the River Brosna in County Offaly, Ireland. It is west of the town of Clara, on the western edge of Clara bog. According to the Census 2006, the DED population for Ballycumber was 688 people...
. Bertie Johnston was injured early in the game and St. Ciaran's lost by 5 points. An altercation took place between supporters after the game and following an investigation by the county board St. Ciaran's were suspended for two years. The club disbanded after this suspension and the footballers and hurlers of the parish had no club of their own.
In 1972 a small number of G.A.A. Players decided to try to start a club in the parish again.
1989, proved to be the year of the breakthrough for the club. There were victories for the first time ever with the junior championship, division 4 league and junior cup being won. Declan Mcevoy was captain in 1989 and was the first player to bring a county championship trophy back to the "bridge". The county championship final was won after a replay against Mucklagh on a score line of 1 - 12 to 1 - 6.
In 1996 the Dowling cup, the prize for the winners of the county senior football championship was brought back to Shannonbridge for the first time after a great victory over Tullamore. This was also the Offaly centenary football final. The final score was 1 - 11 to 0 - 12.
Notable people
- George BrentGeorge BrentGeorge Brent was an Irish film and television actor in American cinema.-Early life:He was born George Brendan Nolan in Raharabeg, County Roscommon on the opposite bank of the River Shannon from the town of Shannonbridge, County Offaly, Ireland, the son of a British Army officer.During the Irish...
, actor - Mike Devine Rugby Player
- Jim Killeen Gaelic Footballer
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland