strawberry beds bridge

This bridge was a footbridge built by the Guinness family to allow workers on it’s estates on the North side of the river to get from their homes on the southside of the river around Palmerstown old village.

It’s most popular use now is for canoeists to jump off.

Apparently the bridge was used to carry power from a weir on the liffey to the clock tower. More Information can be found at the links below. Would also like to know if there is a tunnell on the north side of the bridge?

The Tower contains a 8,183 litre water tank at balcony level and provided a private water supply for the estate. A weir was constructed on the Liffey in the Strawberry Beds at the location of what is now the Wren’s Nest pub. A mile-long millrace brought water to turn a turbine, which in turn pumped water to the Tower and generated electricity for the house. The lines were taken across the Liffey on an iron bridge specially erected for the task. (The bridge was also used by staff at Farmleigh who lived on the south side of the river as a short cut on their way to the house.)

The bridge still stands today in somewhat decrepit condition near the Angler’s Rest pub

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmleigh_Bridge

http://www.farmleigh.ie/txtver/tour10.htm

I know that photo is labelled as “Tunnel entrance”, but I would expect it is actually just a sealed off archway. I know the area very well and can’t think of anywhere the tunnel would emerge. If it is a tunnel it must be very short.