St Patrick's Bridge

St Patrick's Bridge
This article is about the natural landform in County Wexford. For the man-made bridge in Cork, see St Patrick's Street.

St Patrick's Bridge
Droichead Pádraig (Irish)
St Patrick's Bridge in 2024
St Patrick's Bridge in 2024
St Patrick's Bridge is located in Ireland
St Patrick's Bridge
St Patrick's Bridge
Location within Ireland
Map
Interactive map of St Patrick's Bridge
Coordinates: 52°10′20″N 6°34′30″W / 52.17222°N 6.57500°W / 52.17222; -6.57500
Grid positionS 97478 03039
LocationKilmore Quay
Water bodiesCeltic Sea
AgeQuaternary Age
Formed byDeposited glacial sediments

St Patrick's Bridge (Irish: Droichead Pádraig) is an intertidal elongated landform and moraine ridge in County Wexford in Ireland. The ridge connects Nemestown townland east of Kilmore Quay to Little Saltee in the Saltee Islands via the Celtic Sea.[1]

Formation and composition

The moraine was deposited from the British-Irish Ice Sheet during the last Ice Age. Radiocarbon dating of shells in the moraine were used to infer the maximum extent of the British-Irish Ice Sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum. It is composed of mudstone, sand, gravel and granite from the Quaternary Age.[1]

According to an alternative explanation, St Patrick's Bridge could be the surviving remainings of a tombolo, connecting the main land to the Saltee Islands. The breach of the barrier could have been due to an easterly storm or through sea-level changes.[2]

In August 1969, the British Phycological Society collected algae on the moraine during a visit to County Wexford. The species Halidrys siliquosa, Furcellaria fastigiata, Chorda filum, and Zostera marina were found in the area.[3]

There is a legend that the ridge was formed when Irish patron saint Saint Patrick chased the Devil from County Tipperary down to the coast of County Wexford. The legend says that the Devil went into the water, with Patrick throwing stones as the Devil swam,[a] with the arc-shape of the landform being the devil's swimming route.[1][5][4]

St Patrick's Rock

St Patrick's Rock is a large glacial erratic in the Celtic Sea. It is composed of Carnsore granite, and lies around 250 m offshore to the east of St Patrick's Bridge.[1]

The legend also says that St Patrick's Rock is a piece of the Forth Mountain that Saint Patrick threw into the Celtic Sea, though the Forth Mountain is quartzite while St Patrick's Rock is granite. The Geological Survey of Ireland considers the legend to be an example of geomythology.[1][4]

Notes

  1. ^ In the legend, Saint Patrick does not follow the Devil into the water as he is unable to swim.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Wexford – County geological site report" (PDF). County Wexford: Geological Survey of Ireland. Archived from the original (pdf) on 12 April 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  2. ^ Orford, Julian D.; Carter, Richard William Gale (1982). "Geomorphological changes on the barrier coasts of South Wexford". Irish Geography. 15 (1): 70–84. doi:10.1080/00750778209478887.
  3. ^ Norton, Trevor A. (31 October 1970). "The Marine algae of County Wexford, Ireland". British Phycological Journal. 5 (2): 257–266. doi:10.1080/00071617000650321. ISSN 0007-1617. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  4. ^ a b c Hurley, Jim (25 March 2008). "Legends with regard to the origin of St Patrick's Bridge, St Patrick's Rock, & the Saltee Islands" (pdf). Teachers' Union of Ireland. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2026. Retrieved 1 July 2026 – via southwexfordcoast.com.
  5. ^ Byrne, Cian (7 June 2026). "Ireland's islands uncovered: Why the Saltee Islands are one of Ireland's best wildlife experiences". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 29 June 2026. Retrieved 12 June 2026.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.