The Noisiest Bridge in Ireland, Lanesboro 1970

Noise generated by traffic crossing a rickety bridge over the River Shannon is keeping the citizens of Lanesboro awake at night.

A bailey bridge across the River Shannon linking County Longford with County Roscommon has been at Lanesboro (Lanesborough) since 1959. What began as a temporary crossing for pedestrian and vehicle traffic became more permanent, and since its erection, thousands of pounds have been spent on the upkeep of the bridge.

Noise generated by traffic crossing the pre-fabricated bridge can be heard for miles around. In addition, there have been numerous accidents on the bridge over the past month. Two local men are eager to see the demise of this make shift bridge.

We’ve been complaining for years about this thing.

The men believe noise pollution is costing Lanesboro dearly in terms of tourism. Ordinarily, people coming from Athlone across Lough Ree would rest at Lanesboro. However due to the noise levels from the rickety bridge, boats and cabin cruisers are avoiding Lanesboro, preferring to go further upstream to shop for provisions and enjoy a quiet night’s sleep.

Termonbarry, in County Roscommon, once in a similar predicament to Lanesboro, now has a good bridge. Roscommon County Council is making an effort to have Lanesboro’s bailey bridge removed and a new bridge constructed at an estimated cost of £55,000. However, progress is slow. One man thinks the delay could be due to the involvement of two county councils and conflict about sharing the cost of a new bridge.

A ‘Newsbeat’ report broadcast on 29 September 1970. The reporter is Fank Hall.