The new Youghal Bridge linking counties Cork and Waterford is officially opened.
At a ceremony at Ardsallagh outside Youghal town, Donagh O'Malley, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance officially opened the new Youghal Bridge linking Counties Cork and Waterford. Minister for Local Government and Public Health Neil Blaney, who was to have opened the bridge, was unable to attend.
The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Most Reverend Daniel Cohalan was also unable to be attend the ceremony and he was represented by Right Reverend Monsignor Dean Barron who blessed the new bridge.
Also present were the Chairman of Cork County Council Martin Corry, the Mayor of Waterford Jim Griffin, engineer William Joseph Leo O'Connell and members of Cork County Council.
The development of the £222,000 bridge had been in discussion since 1927 but contractors Braithwaite Foundations and Construction Limited and J and G Murphy Limited only began work on the bridge in 1960.
When the ceremony finished, vehicles and pedestrians were given the signal allowing them to travel the 880 feet into County Waterford.
The new concrete bridge is a vast improvement on the old metal Youghal bridge with its series of barriers to the regulate traffic crossing the bridge. The new bridge carries 40 tons, whereas the older structure downstream carries a maximum of ten tons.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 23 January 1963. The footage shown here is mute.
