Galway's well known Salmon Weir Bridge is 200 years old this year.  The bridges of Galway in general go back to the 1400's when the Great Bridge was built.  Margaret Athy was known as Margaret of the Bridges and she built bridges all over Connacht.

The project will include a book on Galway's Bridges and an exhibition on the theme 'Bridging Places, Bridging People' along with talks by people like Bernadette Cunningham of the Royal Irish Academy on: " Irish Medieval Travellers Forging links to Medieval Europe and beyond".

Links were bridged with Spain, Santiago, Rome, and Jerusalem.  An Architect and a local historian will give three talks on them so as to explore the idea of physical and personal bridges between people and places.

Another aspect of the project is an exploration of the Salmon Weir and other bridges including many on NUI Galway's grounds.  Part of the exhibition will explore the bridges of Galway using source material in NUIG's James Hardiman Library, the archives of the Galway Urban District Council Corporation and City Council and some wonderful material in the files of the Corrib Navigation Trustees.  "People making links and Building Bridges across Rivers and Seas" can be said to be the general theme of the project.  Emphasises across all EU states will be asked to send photography local photographers of 6 bridges in their countries which will form part of the exhibition.

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.