Mellows Bridge

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Mellows Bridge is a road bridge spanning the River Liffey, in Dublin, Ireland and joining Queen Street and Arran Quay to the south quays.

In 1683, a stone bridge called Arran Bridge was built in a location between the upstream Bloody Bridge (see Rory O'More Bridge) and the downstream Bridge of Dublin (see Fr. Mathew Bridge). Construction was funded by landowner William Ellis, and Dublin Corporation.

Also known as Bridewell Bridge, this structure stood for 80 years, but was swept away by a flood in 1763.

"National Graves Association" plaque (in Irish and English) noting renaming of bridge

Designed by Charles Valency (a military engineer) a replacement bridge on the same site was built between 1764 and 1768 as a three elliptical arch stone bridge, and named Queens Bridge after Charlotte of Mecklenburg, queen consort of George III.

In 1923 the bridge was renamed for the legendary Queen Maeve by the fledgling Free State. However, it was renamed again in 1942 to its current name, for republican Liam Mellows who was executed during the Irish Civil War.

At almost 250 years old, Mellow's Bridge remains the oldest of all Dublin city bridges still in use.

[edit] Nomenclature

As with other bridges on the Liffey in Dublin, and largely because of the many name changes, Mellow's Bridge is known locally by several names, including: Queen's Bridge, Queen's Street Bridge, Queen Maeve Bridge, and Mellowes Bridge (with an "e").