Number One Bestseller

A unique history and 'how to' book on one of Ireland's most distinctive landscape features - the stone wall.

The Irish countryside is a patchwork of over 250,000 miles of stone wall. Built from local stone according to the style of each region - dry stone in the West and the Mourne mountains or mortar elsewhere - these walls are an intrinsic part of the landscape. This unique guide by expert stone mason Pat McAfee covers the history of this ancient tradition, giving illustrated examples and step-by-step instructions on constructing, conserving and repairing stone walls of all types - whether dry stone or mortar. It includes:

• History of stone in Ireland
• How to build dry stone and mortar walls
• Basic and more advanced techniques
• Dos and don'ts of repair work
• Appropriate conservation methods

About the Author
Pat McAfee is a stone mason and lectures widely, both in Ireland and abroad, on all aspects of stonework. You can visit his own website here. Pat McAfee is a stone mason and lectures widely, both in Ireland and abroad, on all aspects of stonework. You can visit his own website here.

Reviews

'Great photos and line drawings and really good step-by-step stuff. For all of you who wish to preserve a time-honoured tradition, this book's for you!'

-- Floral and Nursery Times, California

'It's splendid. The wealth and variety of the Irish stone tradition is displayed as never before. A source of joy ... written with feeling, even with passion.'

-- Maurice Craig

'A new bible for stone workers and stone wall fanatics everywhere. inspirational. Pat McAfee is a one-man geological Faith of Our Fathers.'

-- Sunday Independent * The Sunday Independent *

'A very satisfactory and pleasant book that provides everything most people could want to know ... most useful. First-class illustration.'

-- Books Ireland * Books Ireland *

'Pat McAfee communicates with a clarity that is based on knowledge. This book should be on the desk of every local authority architect, engineer and planner.'

-- Prof Loughlin Kealy, School of Architecture, UCD

'truly outstanding. One should not be distracted by the word Irish in a title. I'm not an art historian, but expect the principles and techniques described apply to any traditional masonry construction with English or Irish (and to some extent any European) cultural heritage. These are NOT field manuals for modern masonry construction using portland cement, steel reinforcing, assemblies and details now in widespread commercial use. Rather McAfee focuses on load bearing stone, dry laid or with lime mortar. Thorough knowledge of these "outdated" materials and techniques are of critical import in conserving and restoring old buildings. But the value of McAfee's work is not exclusively historical. Some of the principles we admire in old stone walls and historical buildings are properly applicable to new construction. McAfee's books will benefit any architect in using (or recognizing) traditional and "vernacular" building styles; to any mason working in stone; to anyone concerned with quality craft in masonry construction; to anyone else who appreciates historical building forms, materials and methods of construction. If bigger, Patrick McAfee's books would qualify as "coffee table" items; they are certainly beautiful enough. For those who are interested they also appear intensely practical, whether or not one is in a position to use the methods elucidated. The author dares to posit (rarely) a few aesthetic judgements, with which a reader might disagree or might find inconsistent with local project considerations. But even these opinions are valuable to anyone who strives to understand, or judge the qualities of, historical structures. Architects, trade craftspersons, preservationists, and all others interested in traditional masonry should have IRISH STONE WALLS, along with its sibling STONE BUILDINGS, in their libraries.'

-- Lawrence L. Lindsey (Princeton, NJ), on Amazon.com

'truly outstanding. One should not be distracted by the word Irish in a title. I'm not an art historian, but expect the principles and techniques described apply to any traditional masonry construction with English or Irish (and to some extent any Europea

-- Lawrence L. Lindsey (Princeton, NJ), on Amazon.com

'Pat McAfee communicates with a clarity that is based on knowledge. This book should be on the desk of every local authority architect, engineer and planner.'

-- Prof Loughlin Kealy, School of Architecture, UCD

'A very satisfactory and pleasant book that provides everything most people could want to know ... most useful. First-class illustration.'

-- Books Ireland

'A new bible for stone workers and stone wall fanatics everywhere. inspirational. Pat McAfee is a one-man geological Faith of Our Fathers.'

-- Sunday Independent

'It's splendid. The wealth and variety of the Irish stone tradition is displayed as never before. A source of joy ... written with feeling, even with passion.'

-- Maurice Craig

'Great photos and line drawings and really good step-by-step stuff. For all of you who wish to preserve a time-honoured tradition, this book's for you!'

-- Floral and Nursery Times, California

'Dry stone walls are an icon of Ireland and, as McAfee shows, have been used here since ancient times ... Very well illustrated with photos, drawings and diagrams, this is of real value as much to the professional as to the amateur stonemason.'

-- Books Ireland

'In his book, Irish Stone Walls, Patrick McAfee, an expert stonemason, covers the history of dry-stone walling from as early as 7,000BC.'

-- Irish Farmers' Monthly



Book Information
ISBN 9781847172341
Author Pat McAfee
Format Paperback
Page Count 176
Imprint O'Brien Press Ltd
Publisher O'Brien Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 322g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 9mm