"Sally’s Bridge" by Cathy Scuffil

Properly Parnell Bridge, called after Sir John Parnell, a director of the Grand Canal Company. He was the great-great grandfather of Charles Stewart Parnell. Parnell Road, which runs parallel to the canal at this point, takes its name from the bridge and not from Charles Stewart Parnell as is generally thought.

The bridge is usually called “Sally’s Bridge” and various theories have been put forward as to how this name originates, not least that a girl called Sally drowned in the canal at this point! Another mentions the great romance between Harold – of Harold’s Cross, and Sally. Yet another makes reference to Sally trees which are reputed to grow on the canal banks.

An examination of old maps shows that it was proposed to construct a link road from Parnell Bridge to Fox and Geese Common as far back as 1782 and John Taylor’s map of 1816 actually shows this road as completed.

The road as planned was never built, (Clogher Road, in its present form was constructed as recently as the 1940’s) and in the 1790’s the farmland in the Clogher Road area was in the possession of Mr. John Sally. Parnell Bridge, without the planned road, led nowhere, except to John Sally’s farm. Hence this bridge became known as “Sally’s Bridge”.

Cathy Scuffil, March 2024