Overview
The Michael Davitt Bridge is the road link onto Achill Island, carrying the R319 across Achill Sound between the Corraun Peninsula in County Mayo and the island. The one you cross today is the third to stand here: a swing bridge completed in 2008. Most people cross it without a second glance, which is fair enough, but it is an unusual piece of working engineering and it has been the island’s lifeline for well over a century. For a look at the structure, use the public footway or a stopping point in the village and keep the approach clear.
Three bridges since 1887
Before any bridge, islanders crossed by ferry or waded the sound at low tide, and people and horses were lost to the tidal surge doing it. The first bridge, named after the land-reform campaigner Michael Davitt, opened in 1887, built for horse-drawn traffic at a cost of around £5,000.
By the 1930s it was too narrow and worn for motor cars. Mayo County Council’s replacement opened in 1949 at a cost of about £20,000 and served for six decades, until its swing mechanism began to fail in the 2000s.
The current bridge was completed in 2008. The steelwork contractor records it as finished that year and names Malachy Walsh and Partners as its engineers.
The swing mechanism
The 2008 bridge is a swing bridge, built so that the deck can turn on a central pivot to let taller vessels through the channel. It is about 225.5 m long and 6.5 m wide, and weighs about 390 tonnes. You should not plan a trip around seeing it open. If your journey by water depends on the span opening, check with the responsible authority first, and always follow traffic controls when you are near the carriageway.
Beyond the bridge
The crossing is the gateway to the rest of Achill. On the island side, the road runs on to Achill Sound village and, further out, Keem Bay and the deserted village under Slievemore; turn south for the ruins of Kildavnet Castle. The bridge is also where the Great Western Greenway reaches the island, so cyclists riding the Westport–Achill route cross here. For wilder ground, the boglands and trails of Ballycroy / Wild Nephin National Park are a short drive back on the mainland.
Getting there
- By car: The R319 runs out to Achill Sound from Westport, reached from Dublin via Castlebar and the N5.
- By bus: See Bus Éireann route 450 for the current timetable.
- Other options: Achill Tourism lists current ways of getting to and around the island.
Achill Sound village is on the island side. If you are on foot, remember that the carriageway is the crossing, with only narrow paths alongside, so mind the traffic.