By Róise Collins
YOUNG local boy Jamie Gallon cut the ribbon at the official opening of the new Milltown Pedestrian Bridge in Killygordon.
Jamie has a very special connection with the bridge as his grandfather was one of the men who built the original stone arch bridge.
All these years later Jamie and his team mates will now safely walk the bridge that services Red Hugh’s, the local GAA club.
Each of the stone arch bridges along the Finn Valley has their own unique history, explained local Councillor Patrick McGowan.
“There is a big mill beside the original bridge, when the wheel was turning the waste water would run down into the stream and the stone stopped it from wearing it away,” he said.
There are also stories of horses using the cobbled stone to walk the banks of the river.
Councillor McGowan and Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys together officially opened the footbridge.
Councillor Patrick McGowan instigated the project with the help of local community group Crossroads and Killygordon Enterprise (CAKE) with the support of Red Hugh’s CLG.
The two local groups have been working tirelessly on this project, completing footpaths and now the final link is the footbridge, said Councillor McGowan.
Between the footbridge and the footpaths the overall cost was in excess of €250,000.
The project received €100,000 in funding from the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, and the road design section in Donegal County Council then made an application to the Active Travel scheme to cover the completion of the works.
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