placenames.ie
Townland

Hartley

Corr an Sparra

Hartley Bridge links the Leitrim townland with Cleaheen on the Roscommon bank.

Watercolour and fine ink reconstruction of Hartley Bridge in 2008, with its low concrete deck and slender braced supports above the Shannon.
Historical reconstruction, Hartley Bridge over the Shannon between Hartley and Cleaheen in August 2008, based on Brian Shaw's dated photograph
Recorded locationHartley53.96804° N · 8.08864° WInteractive map supplied by OpenStreetMap.
Recorded place location · Logainm.ie

The name

A reliable full-name meaning has not been established here. The recorded Irish and English forms are given without an unsupported translation.

Recorded forms

  • Corr an Sparra · Irish · main form · non-validated name
  • Hartley · English · main form

Place & story

A bridge between two counties

An archaeological assessment prepared in 2021 traced Hartley Bridge’s construction and opening as separate stages: the bridge was completed in 1912, while the crossing with its connecting roads opened in 1915. Roscommon and Leitrim County Councils and the Board of Works jointly financed the project. Its eastern approach is in Hartley, County Leitrim, and its western approach in Cleaheen, County Roscommon. [2]

Looking beneath the water

Mizen Archaeology’s dive survey in June 2019 examined the river crossing upstream and downstream of the bridge. Visibility was generally limited to about one metre. Divers found a riverbed covered with water-worn limestone cobbles, sediment around the bridge piers and stone blocks apparently placed to protect the eastern bank. Modern debris, particularly near the western bank, included bottles, ceramic jars and fishing equipment. [2]

Geographic information

Place type
Townland
County
Leitrim
Barony
Leitrim
Civil parish
Kiltoghert
Coordinates
53.96804, -8.08864
Mapped area
1.08 km²
Logainm ID
29163 ↗

Sources & further reading

  1. Logainm.ie — Hartley. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  2. Proposed Bridge Replacement, Hartley Bridge: Archaeological Impact Assessment, September 2021, pages 6, 22–26 and 30–36 · Mizen Archaeology; assessment directed by Julianna O’Donoghue; prepared for Leitrim County Council
  3. Boundary geometry retains its source attribution and licence in the downloadable geographic record. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.
  4. Hartley Bridge over the Shannon in August 2008 illustration: based on a Hartley Bridge by Brian Shaw. AI-assisted watercolour and ink adaptation; cream paper margins added, incidental clutter omitted and fine details simplified. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.

Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.