22nd of July was the official opening of the revamped Borris Viaduct.
Impressive sixteen arch Viaduct, with spectacular views to the Blackstairs Mountains and Mount Leinster, has recently received work by Carlow County Council to make it safer and more accessible.
They called the Viaduct “A bridge to the past and a link to the future”.
The southern end of Borris village leads conveniently to the Borris Viaduct and walkway.
Borris Viaduct is one of Ireland’s best examples of monumental 19th Century railway engineering.
Designed by the engineer William Le Fanu (1816– 1894) and built by M. Talbot, the Viaduct rises to 60ft high and spans the Mountain River. It was built at a cost of £20,000 and completed in 1860.
The revamped viaduct spans 16 arches across the river 50m below. The viaduct was constructed as a railway line from Bagenalstown to Wexford. Passenger services ceased in 1931, but goods traffic continued until 1947. On the 1st of January 1963, the line closed for good. It had been 108 years from the time the first sod was cut near Borris.
Now you can walk across the top of the Viaduct and enjoy the lovely scenic area. The viaduct walk is 500m long. Carlow County Council added new visible barriers to both edges of the viaduct as they were quite low before. The new addition allows families to walk over the top of the viaduct without worrying about the children’s safety.
There are information panels with lots of interesting historical information about the construction of the viaduct. There is also a new car park.
It’s a really beautiful spot and now it is even more worth a visit.
Location of Borris Viaduct:
Below are photos I took in July 2021.
Below are photos I took in November 2014.
