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When the swivel bridges were first erected over the canal, they were not designed to carry significant loads. As traffic increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, concerns grew about their capacity and safety. Calls to widen and strengthen the bridges became common, and fines were introduced for driving vehicles over bridges incapable of supporting heavy weights. In 1889, Michael Denvir addressed this issue in a letter to the Newry Telegraph, criticising the Monaghan Street bridge and urging the Town Commissioners to widen it or add an extension. By 1897, Joseph Wright, Secretary of the Newry Chamber of Commerce, highlighted similar concerns in a resolution advocating for strengthening Dublin Bridge to accommodate traction engines. Complaints about narrow, lightweight bridges continued. In 1904, the Ballybot swivel bridge was criticized for inefficiency, reportedly taking up to an hour to turn.
Modernisation efforts began in the 1920s. Dublin Bridge was the first to be replaced, with construction starting in late 1924 and the new bridge completed by January 1925. Ballybot Bridge followed in 1926, featuring a pavement for pedestrians. In 1929, Godfrey Bridge was replaced by a modern structure built by John Butler & Co., of Leeds. The bridge, costing £11,500 with £7,000 funded by the government, featured metal railings, pavements, and an electric motor. Initially, the motor was faulty, requiring manual operation, but a replacement installed in 1930 reduced the turning time to seconds. Scrap metal from the old bridge, totaling 30 tons, was sold at auction. Meanwhile, Sugar Island’s wooden swing bridge remained outdated. In 1928, repeated fines for overloading underscored its inadequacy. Isaac Murray of Newry was fined 10 shillings for driving a motor lorry exceeding three tons, while similar fines were imposed on others for operating overweight motor omnibuses.
By 1956, further modernisation became essential with the increasing prevalence of motor vehicles on the roads. Dublin Bridge, Ballybot Bridge, and Sugar Island Bridge were sold by the Newry Port and Harbour Trust to the local council for £10, marking the beginning of plans to replace them permanently. Dublin Bridge was rebuilt with a non-moveable tar-mac structure completed by September 1958. Sugar Island’s old swing bridge was more than 100 years old when it was closed in October 1956. It was 13 feet wide and composed of two pedestrian carriageways. It has been estimated that at the time before its closure there were some 900 to 1,000 vehicular crossings daily. It was replaced by an £18,000 concrete bridge in December 1959 with local officials, including Charles Blaney M.B.E., marking the new bridge’s opening with a ceremonial car crossing. In 1960, Ballybot Bridge, was described as “aged and decrepit,” and was the last of Newry’s older set of swing bridges to be replaced. A pre-stressed, pre-cast concrete structure costing £7,500 was completed in early 1963.
Godfrey Bridge, locally known as Soho Bridge after 1907 due to its proximity to the Soho Foundry and later the Soho Cinema, was replaced in December 1986 during road-widening efforts. Though long closed on the canal, its replacement with a permanent structure marked the end of Newry’s lifting and swivel bridge era. A further £1.25 million project in 1988 added a new road and two permanent bridges connecting Trevor Hill, Sugar Island, Canal Quay, and Canal Street. Completed in 1990, the project eased traffic congestion and completed Newry’s bridge modernisation with the last of Newry’s modern bridges, Clanrye Bridge over the river and Canal Quay Bridge over the canal.
The Museum is currently offering free tours of the main exhibition galleries on Wednesdays at 2.00 pm. These must be booked in advance by calling their Education Officer at 0330 137 4422.
Newry and Mourne Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 am – 4.30 pm. Please call 0330 137 4422 or email museums@nmandd.org for further information.
Visit their website at www.visitmournemountains.co.uk
