In Pictures: Cllr Niamh Kennedy ‘delighted and thankful’ to turn sod at Fintra Bridge

The sod has been turned at Fintra Bridge, marking the start of a major road upgrade for the area. Click on the arrows to see Siobhan McNamara's photographs from the event:

This ceremonial commencement of the project was carried out by Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Niamh Kennedy (Ind). She was joined by Charlie McConalogue (FF), Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

The minister of state told Donegal Live: “It is wonderful to see Fintra get to this point. Public representatives and the people in the council worked really hard over the years to get to the stage where it was funded and the work was sanctioned. 

“It is a great honour to be here on behalf of the Minister For Transport Darragh O’Brien, along with Cllr Kennedy, in marking the start of that work.

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“The project represents a €12m investment. Fintra Bridge is an important structure on this river and has stood the test of time really well but we can’t expect it to take much more.

“This will be a significant piece of work, redefining the access roads and the bridge.

“I look forward to seeing the job done.”

Also present were Senator Manus Boyle (FG), councillors from Donegal MD, Cllrs Noel Jordan (SF), Michael McMahon (SF), Jimmy Brogan (Ind) and Michael Boyle (FG). Cathaoirleach of Donegal MD, Cllr Micheál Naughton (FF) sent his apologies.

Senior Staff from Donegal County Council were in attendance, including Chief Executive John McLaughlin who was involved in the project at an early stage in his former role as Roads Officer. They were joined by representatives from the Department of Transport and from the engineering firm BAM who will be carrying out the work.

It is fitting that this was one of the last engagements of Cllr Kennedy in her capacity as Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, with her term ending on Monday, June 30. Since being elected to the Municipal District of Donegal in 2014, the Killybegs councillor has been instrumental in ensuring that this major €12m upgrade of Fintra Bridge and the associated road network remained on the agenda at the highest level.

“I am absolutely delighted and so thankful for the work that the council has done in getting the Fintra Bridge Project to this stage,” she told Donegal Live.

“We have been working away at this all along, working very closely with the council staff, so it is great to see it coming together.

“There were a lot of naysayers who didn’t believe it would ever happen.”

Cllr Kennedy acknowledged the support of former Minister For Transport Shane Ross in giving the green light for Fintra Bridge.

“Only for Shane Ross, it would not have been done,” she said. “It was him who gave approval for Fintra Bridge and for Tirconaill Bridge in Donegal Town. Tirconaill  Bridge was done first because it was an easier project and more straightforward.

“We have been working away in the background on Fintra since 2014 and it is great to reach this point.

“A lot of councillors around the county have been asking ‘how did you manage that?’

“Mark Sweeney [Area Roads Officer] says it is because we worked together.”

Cllr Kennedy recalls travelling to Dublin in 2017 to petition the minister, along with Donegal County Council’s Chief Executive John McLaughlin who was Senior Roads Officer at the time. The deputation included Mark Sweeney, Cllr Noel Jordan (SF), former Cllr Tom Conaghan (Ind), and former Cllr John Campbell (Ind).

There followed numerous stages, including design, public consultation and land purchase which have all taken time to complete.

The project includes not only a new bridge, but a significant road realignment to bring it up to a standard suitable for the high volume of traffic on what is a key tourism route.

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The existing Fintra Bridge has a 'Yield' system whereby traffic can only cross in one direction at a time. To the Killybegs side, there are six very steep, sharp bends.

New road alignment was designed to take account of environmental, economic and road safety factors, and will include a cycle and pedestrian path, part of which will be formed by repurposement of the current road. 

Significant realignment work will run from the Killybegs roundabout to the holiday homes west of the bridge.