260 years ago today a tsunami destroyed Innishannon Bridge

• Nov 01,2015

On November 1^st 1755 a devastating earthquake hit Lisbon, Portugal. This earthquake, known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, is thought to have had a magnitude of 8.5-9, (though this is just an estimate as no recording equipment existed at the time) and shockwaves were felt across Europe. It created tidal waves which hit coastlines as far away as North Africa, and the boats in Kinsale harbour are said to have spun around on their moorings. The wave travelled up the estuary of the Bandon River from Kinsale as far as Innishannon, completely destroying the bridge here.

Innishannon Bridge

Innishannon Bridge crosses the River Bandon to the west of the town of Innishannon. It comprises six semi-circular arches, gently rising in height towards the centre. The high arches are formed by dressed limestone voussoirs, and the piers have full height pointed cut-waters to the downstream side. This repeating of vertical lines, in the piers and the angle of the cutwater, draws the eye upwards. The site is surprisingly tall and the lofty arches frame the views upriver, making the riverbank here a popular local scenic spot. The bridge has been extensively modernised to meet the needs of the high volumes of traffic which cross it, and the original fabric is only apparent from the downstream side, however it is still considered both an archaeological monument (RMP) and an important architectural structure (listed on the RPS). The upstream side has been widened and is built of concrete, and the parapet walls have been replaced by modern metal railings to both sides. Prior to the construction of this bridge there was a ford crossing the Bandon River a short distance downstream. Indeed Innishannon town probably owes its existence, at least in part, to the importance of this ford, located at the other end of the village. At one time this was the only crossing between Kinsale and Bandon, and it was the point at which O‟Neill and O'Donnell forces met in 1601 to travel on to the Battle of Kinsale. The site of the ford is still known as Boreen Awe or Bothairin an Atha (meaning „road of the ford‟). The Bandon River is tidal from the mouth of the river at Kinsale up as far as the bridge at Innishannon, and when the tide was in a ferry service operated at the site of this bridge. The ferry was granted to Philip de Barra by King Henry IV in 1412. The first known mention of Innishannon Bridge comes from a record of a resolution by Kinsale Corporation, in 1665, “to oppose the payment of money towards Innishannon Bridge”. Having been rebuilt, after the tsuami of 1755 the bridge was again extensively damaged in the severe floods of 1761 and 1765. The Corporation of Bandon paid for the repair of the Innishannon Bridge in 1765 because it was such an important link for the commercial life of the town of Bandon. The bridge, although it has been significantly altered and modernised, retains all the characteristics of an 18th century bridge; semi-circular arches, a gentle rise towards the centre, coursed rubble stone construction, fairly evenly spaced arches with regularly sized voussoirs, and pointed cutwaters. Like Ballineen Bridge, it also has a sharp turn in the road approaching the bridge, which crosses the river at right angles. Innishannon Bridge, in its many guises, has crossed the Bandon River at this point for over three centuries. It has been the chief crossing point for traffic into south western Cork

Great Lisbon Earthquake

Lisbon was Portugal’s capital and largest city during the prosperous 18th century, when diamonds and gold from the Portuguese colony in Brazil made many in the country wealthy. About 10 percent of Portugal’s 3 million people lived in Lisbon and, as one of the biggest ports on the Atlantic Ocean.

On All Saints Day, three tremors over the course of 10 minutes suddenly struck Lisbon. The devastating effects of the earthquake were felt throughout the city. Close to the coast, a 20-foot tsunami rushed ashore and killed thousands. Many people were observing All Saints Day in churches at the time and died when the buildings collapsed. Fires broke out all over the city and winds spread the flames quickly. The royal palace was destroyed, as were thousands of homes. Much of the country’s cultural history, preserved in books, art and architecture, was wiped away in an instant. Many of the city’s residents, including hundreds of escaped prisoners, fled Lisbon immediately. The death toll has been estimated at between 10,000 and 50,000.

The rupture was felt in Finland and North Africa, and possibly as far away as Greenland and the Caribbean. It also sent a ten-foot tsunami wave crashing into the south of Ireland with such force that it reshaped the coast from Cork to Galway. 

Tsunami Animation for the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755