Nowhere on this hopeful earth would I rather be on a summer solstice than at Lough Boora Parklands at the wonderful and inspirational Gathering of Stones.
Lough Boora Parklands
Deep in the heart of Ireland a bunch of stonemasons – driven only by their love of stone & heritage – gather to build a circle.
Stonemasons from DSWAI listen to speeches
Iconic slabs of ’emigrant stone’ from Ellis Island has already arrived and is positioned as a compass, where a tower shall be built to surround it.
Slabs from Ellis Island
Lay people and masters of the craft alike travel from afar to join us
Sean Adcock from The Dry Stone Wall Association of Wales
Sunny Wieler
The Ulster team is off to a fighting start
Tommy builds for Ulster
Rónán Crehan builds with Drumkeelan sandstone and quartz from Glencolmcille
Raising up a Mother stone
Meanwhile – across at the Connaught Wall, a feidin style structure takes shape
Tom & Lynn work beside Eddie Farrelly
Óisín and Jacob build a bay for Connaught
There is no delay for the Leinster Wall with a bouldery style, using limestone excavated from beneath the bog
- Nick Aitken on the Leinster Wall
- A Happy Man
Stone makes people happy – connects us to the earth, to ourselves & to each other
Gathering of Stones 2013
A steady flow of visitors arrive to bring stones of their own to incorporate into the structure.
Katherine with her stone from Coolanarney, Blueball, Co.Offaly
Like Katherine – who brings a stone from her old home place, now a tumbled memory. As a child she ploughed and thatched alongside her father, and carried stones to pile atop of walls of ancient fields. It means everything – her stone.
Carved stones bearing names of loved ones
Alex Panteleyenko carves for Ulster
Master craftsmen painstakingly carve emblem stones for each province
Leinster/ Connaught, by Christian Helling
Fran Coady, Ken Curran & Wal move the lovely Welsh stone
Karl Kennedy goes Connaught style
But time runs short beneath the big Offaly sky
in the peace of morning
”With goodness in our hearts, strength in our limbs and truth on our lips”
Gathering of Stones 2013 – photo by Sunny Wieler
limewindow 
It was a great event, once again Ireland has set a standard and an example.
It was a fantastic success – a great credit to all. Big thanks!
Such a good idea.
stunningly beautiful work and photography that exposes the heart of the stone an the love and joy of the work.. Congratulations, gimme a bell! Much love, m
That is so neat that all those people come!
Hello there! I’m a UCD academic currently writing a journal article that mentions the Gathering of Stones, and would be interested in including one of your images as illustration? Could you please contact me at emily.mark(at)ucd.ie? Many thanks! Emily
I’d love to hear more about future gatherings, inspirational talks/activities events…please keep in the loop.