Lifford Bridge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lifford Bridge is a cross-border bridge over the River Foyle which marks the border between Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and Lifford in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.

[edit] History

Lifford came into the possession of Sir Richard Hansard during the Plantation of Ulster in 1607. One of the conditions of his grant was that a ferry crossing be provided over the River Finn. This service continued until 1730 when the first bridge linking Lifford and Strabane was built.

In the 19th century a curious custom existed when if, by the end of the Assizes in Lifford or Omagh courthouses, a jury could not reach a unanimous verdict in a case, they were sent to the "verge" of the county to be dismissed. In the case of counties Donegal and Tyrone, this was the middle of the Lifford Bridge.

The present bridge was constructed by engineering company McAlpines in 1964, jointly funded by Donegal County Council and Strabane District Council. During The Troubles in 1968, an attempt was made to blow the bridge up. However, it was closed for only a short time and today remains a vital part of the cross-border route from Letterkenny (Co Donegal) to Dublin via Omagh in Northern Ireland.