BANDON’S famous bridge will forever be remembered in song after a local duo were commissioned to write a song to celebrate the bridge’s 250th anniversary this year.
The Shruggs – James Downing and Kees Hendrickx – are well-known on the musical circuit in West Cork, having released numerous singles.
The Bandon Walled Town Festival committee commissioned them, with the help of Cork County Council, to create a song celebrating the bridge.
Speaking to The Southern Star, Kees said both he and James are thrilled to have been asked by the committee to write the song.
‘As Bandonians, both of us grew up with the bridge and have always been fascinated with its past,’ said Kees.
‘We sat down with historians Liam Murphy and Dan Holland who delved deep into the bridge’s captivating history with us. I then set out to weave these stories and facts into a heartfelt composition, which became the song 'Footsteps on the Bridge.’
The band hope the song will resonate with the people of Bandon and beyond who traversed its path down through the years and it made its debut performance at the launch of the Bandon Walled Town Festival this week. A short talk highlighting the history and importance of the bridge to the town was given at the event.
The festival itself runs from August 12th to 20th and promises history talks and walks, music recitals as well as a Family Fun Day.
Maria McLaughlin, chairperson of the festival said that it is important to mark the 250th anniversary of Bandon’s Bridge this year.
‘The town was originally called ‘Bandon-Bridge’ and is styled like this in Irish with ‘Droichead na Banndan’ meaning ‘Bridge of Bandon’ a reference to the origin of the town as a crossing point on the river,’ she said.
‘The Bandon river has always been at the heart of the life in Bandon town and along with its tributary, the Bridewell, it contributed to the development of the town.’
Maria said the original bridge was built slightly to the west of the present bridge in line with the street it gave its name to, Bridge Street.
‘There appears to have been several instances of bridges being swept away or damaged, but 250 years ago a new bridge was built over the Bandon river in place of the one that was washed away in 1765. The length of time it took to build the replacement was due in some part to the cost of the build.’
It actually took eight years to replace the original bridge and this is acknowledged in latin on a mural tablet over the central arch which has the inscription ‘Tandem Emergo’ which translates as ‘finally it emerges’, referring to the length of time it took to build the new bridge!
The Bandon Walled Town Festival runs from August 12th to 20th. See www.bandonhistory.com
