Salmon Weir Bridge, Galway

The Salmon Weir Bridge, constructed in 1818, is the oldest surviving bridge over the Corrib River. It was built to connect the old Jail with the courthouse and the road to Connemara. The Jail was standing where the Cathedral is today. The bridge is a prime observation point during the salmon runs in May and September.

The bridge is easy to find. If one takes Galway Cathedral as a land mark, the bridge is directly in front of the Cathedral. There is a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the river adjoining the Salmon Weir Bridge.

Shoals of salmon can be observed from the bridge leaping up the river to spawn. There is a great view of the Cathedral and of the Wolfe Tone Bridge downstream. The bridge was originally granted to the Earl of Ulster by King Henry III. Franciscans controlled the fisheries until Henry VIII closed the monasteries and gave the fish to the Lynches.

The awesome rush of water through the weir is stunning when the river is at flood. With up to four million gallons per second, this is the largest weir in the country.