Athlone’s place at the heart of Ireland means that it is a crossroads for transport infrastructure with bridges for roads rivers and railways being an integral part of the journey.

In celebration of the roles bridges play, Westmeath Arts, Heritage and Libraries have developed a multidisciplinary project to shine a light on the importance of the Athlone Bridges. We will be examining the cultural and social histories that connect us to our local infrastructure.

Working with acclaimed illustrator Conor McHale, the history of Athlone’s lost bridges will be brought to life in a series of comic strips and talks.

Award winning photographer Paul Moore will also be capturing aspects of Athlone bridges for an exhibition in the Aidan Heavey Library.

The town's social history will be crucial to the project. Locals will be invited to share their memories of the bridges through recollections and memorabilia for a digital exhibition while children and teenagers will be encouraged to explore the engineering aspects of bridge building through a series of workshops in Athlone Library.

Join us in our journey through the past and present exploring the Bridges of Athlone.

This project is supported by Creative Ireland Westmeath.

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