Pedestrian Bridge, Clabber Yards, Strabane, Co. Tyrone, N. Ireland, 18 June 2017, DSC_2246
Someone once asked me (April 2023) where the name "Clabber Yards" originated? I had an idea, however I wasn't exactly sure, so I discussed it with an old fishing friend, Ted Foley. He confirmed my initial thoughts. Year's ago the backs of the houses along Meetinghouse Street, Townsend Street, Lower Main Street and possibly some other streets were the houses backed onto or faced the river, like Threadneedle Street (now call Waterside Street), the residents used to dispose of their rubbish or waste on the lower part of their back gardens, in most instances a piece of waste ground or in some instances directly onto the bank of the river Mourne. Hence the name "Clabber Yards". Clabber from the Gaelic word clàbar, filth, mire, clay or "clabbered" meaning “covered with mud or dirt”.
As a child, I lived in 19, Meetinghouse Street, my father was a barber, he disposed of the waste hair at the bottom of our lower garden, this garden sloped slightly downwards towards the river. Waste hair and ashes from the fire would pill up here until there was a large floor. On some ocasions the flood water would rise right up, possibly 10 or 15 feet and filled the lower garden, obviously the hair and any other waste would be washed away.
The Pedestrian Bridge.
This new footbridge across the River Mourne in Strabane was installed by SH Structures during the summer of 2015. The 92m span cable stay structure, which sits within a designated Special Area of Conservation, has a 38m. high wishbone mast. At 3.5m wide the new bridge now creates a much needed link for pedestrians and cyclists between the Melvin Park residential area of Strabane and the town centre. The cable stay design was selected to minimise the impact on the north bank (Meetinghouse Street) and take advantage of the large area available on the south bank (Melvin) where the mast could be assembled and installed. The mast was brought to site in sections and assembled on temporary works before being lifted into place using two mobile cranes to complete the challenging tandem lift. The completed structure was shortlisted in the 2016 Structural Steel Design Awards.
Date opened: approx 28 November 2015
Architect: WYG/Doran Consulting
Structural Engineer: Aecom
Principal Contractor: Fox Contracts
Pedestrian Bridge, Clabber Yards, Strabane, Co. Tyrone, N. Ireland, 18 June 2017, DSC_2246
Someone once asked me (April 2023) where the name "Clabber Yards" originated? I had an idea, however I wasn't exactly sure, so I discussed it with an old fishing friend, Ted Foley. He confirmed my initial thoughts. Year's ago the backs of the houses along Meetinghouse Street, Townsend Street, Lower Main Street and possibly some other streets were the houses backed onto or faced the river, like Threadneedle Street (now call Waterside Street), the residents used to dispose of their rubbish or waste on the lower part of their back gardens, in most instances a piece of waste ground or in some instances directly onto the bank of the river Mourne. Hence the name "Clabber Yards". Clabber from the Gaelic word clàbar, filth, mire, clay or "clabbered" meaning “covered with mud or dirt”.
As a child, I lived in 19, Meetinghouse Street, my father was a barber, he disposed of the waste hair at the bottom of our lower garden, this garden sloped slightly downwards towards the river. Waste hair and ashes from the fire would pill up here until there was a large floor. On some ocasions the flood water would rise right up, possibly 10 or 15 feet and filled the lower garden, obviously the hair and any other waste would be washed away.
The Pedestrian Bridge.
This new footbridge across the River Mourne in Strabane was installed by SH Structures during the summer of 2015. The 92m span cable stay structure, which sits within a designated Special Area of Conservation, has a 38m. high wishbone mast. At 3.5m wide the new bridge now creates a much needed link for pedestrians and cyclists between the Melvin Park residential area of Strabane and the town centre. The cable stay design was selected to minimise the impact on the north bank (Meetinghouse Street) and take advantage of the large area available on the south bank (Melvin) where the mast could be assembled and installed. The mast was brought to site in sections and assembled on temporary works before being lifted into place using two mobile cranes to complete the challenging tandem lift. The completed structure was shortlisted in the 2016 Structural Steel Design Awards.
Date opened: approx 28 November 2015
Architect: WYG/Doran Consulting
Structural Engineer: Aecom
Principal Contractor: Fox Contracts