STONEBUILT Ireland hosted the 4th International Heritage Stone Workshop of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) from 14 – 17 July 2025. The theme was ‘Heritage Stone: from quarries to craft practitioners and buildings’. 40 delegates from 10 countries attended.
On day 1, 17 oral presentations and 8 posters were presented on a wide range of topics (refer to the below file for abstracts).
Day 2 began in the Ballyknockan granite quarrying district. John McEvoy, owner of the Ballyknockan quarry, described the history of stone extraction and demonstrated the splitting of a granite boulder. The O’Flaherty family showcased carving of architectural and decorative pieces from the local stone at their nearby workshop. This was followed by a visit to Russborough House,which features external granite walls and chimneypieces of Irish and imported stone.
Day 3 consisted of a visit to McKeon Stone’s Threecastles Quarry (Mississippian Limestone), Co. Kilkenny and their stone works at Stradbally, with a final stop at Emo Court.
On day 4, delegates participated in a building stone tour of Trinity College Dublin and adjacent streets.
