COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN / PALMERSTOWN / NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

QUESTION NO. 2

QUESTION: Councillor Shane Moynihan

To ask the Chief Executive to provide an update on the current standing of the Council's interest in the Silver Bridge, discussions with Fingal County Council on the matter and the next steps being undertaken in relation to it. 

REPLY:

Fingal County Council is the custodian of the Silverbridge in Palmerstown and the restoration and future use of the bridge is a matter for Fingal County Council, considering health and safety, financial outlay and ultimate use whilst having regard to significant constraints, in terms of structural constraints, landownership and finance. 

Members received a presentation by CORA Consulting Engineers at the May 2020 ACM where the findings of a feasibility study on the Silverbridge at Palmerstown was given. The conclusion of the presentation was that there was no coherent realisable project into which the bridge could be placed either now or in the near or mid term future from either local authority`s point of view.

In early 2021 Fingal County Council made an application to the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, for grant assistance under Stream 2 of the Historic Structures Fund 2021. The application was for essential conservation works to protect the Guinness’ Silver’ Bridge which is in Fingal County Council’s ownership.

Fingal County Council were successful in securing €140,000 for works to address stability of the structure. The proposed works will be generally confined to the metal bridge structure and the stone abutment on the northern side. Remaining funding has come from Fingal County Council as the owner of the structure.

Fingal County Council appointed a contractor in late 2021 for enabling works to assist with vegetation clearance on the stone abutments and to create access for inspections. The enabling works including vegetation removal was completed in January 2022. This has allowed the design team to complete their inspections.

Works is ongoing on preparing tender documents which are due to issue in April, 2022. The conservation works are expected to take 9 months to complete. A provision of €1.54m has been allocated for conservation works Fingal County Council 2022- 2024 Capital Programme of Works.

These works will conserve and protect the bridge structure as a landscape feature however public access onto the bridge structure is not currently proposed.