Edwin Feeney – Stonecutter & Stonemason 2007

Mankind has long used stone as one of the key materials for building. As one of the oldest crafts around, stonecutting and carving have a huge degree of history and tradition in this country. Galway stonecutter and stonemason Edwin Feeney has spent the last 16 years working with stone in a wide variety of projects from gravestones to castle restoration.

Feeney previously worked on restoration projects for the Office of Public Works, but has now set up his own business sing traditional stonecutting methods. Since many of his projects involve the restoration of traditional stone finishes, Feeney uses traditional hand-held tools in order to achieve the desired finish. He works predominantly with limestone, due to its hard-wearing nature and the fact that it was the type of stone traditionally used in Irish buildings.

He sources his stone from a variety of quarries, mainly in Ireland. “Limestone is not a constant commodity,” he says. This means that the quality, colour and consistency of the stone varies across different quarries. He works on a wide range of stone carving projects, including door and window surrounds, spiral staircases, fireplaces and restoration of old stone work. His favourite stonework is ornate carving, as it “gets the creative juices flowing”. He also works on features for newly built homes.

See also – Edwin Feeney