Realist Art in Oils, Watercolours and Ink Sketches by Dai Wynn
River Finnihy Kenmare Kerry
The River Finnihy flows through the town of Kenmare on the southern coast of Eire, the Republic of Ireland. For travellers from Cork, Kenmare represents the gateway to the famed Ring of Kerry where narrow, winding roads offer stunning views of verdant farmlands, rocky cliffs and an island studded sea.
History abounds in southern Eire, from abandoned railways to old seaports. Interestingly, this river view is adjacent to Cromwell’s Bridge, formerly named Finnihy Bridge.
An internet search has revealed the following tract:
“The single-arch bridge over river, c.1700. Now disused. Sited spanning Finnihy River. NOTE: The bridge, originally named Finnihy Bridge after the river over which its crosses, is possibly the same ‘high bridge & one arch’ described (1758) by Richard Pococke (1704-65). The bridge is now known as Cromwell’s Bridge and a nearby plaque suggests that the name “Cromwell” possibly derived from the Irish “croiméal”, meaning moustache, or from an amalgam of the Irish “croim” and “maol”, translating as stooped and bald, the latter term applied to bridges without parapets”.
