Dry Stone Walling: Traditional Techniques in Ireland

A dry stone wall is built without mortar. It stays up because of the shape of the stones, the care with which they are chosen and the way the weight is spread. In Ireland these walls divide fields, line lanes and climb hillsides, especially in the west, and they are among the most common examples of a rural craft that needs no tools beyond a hammer and a good eye.

The following sections explain how a traditional wall is put together, why the west of Ireland has so many and what a visitor can learn by looking closely at one.

What “dry stone” means

Dry stone construction, sometimes called drystack, is a method of building with stones and no mortar to bind them. Binding comes from carefully selected, interlocking stones. The technique is best known for field boundaries, churchyard walls and terrace walls, although shelters and small buildings have also been made this way.

In Britain and Ireland, dry stone walls are characteristic of upland areas where rock outcrops or large stones are plentiful in the soil. They are especially abundant in the west of Ireland, particularly Connemara, and in stony districts such as the Burren. The local rock decides how a wall looks.

Where the stones came from

Many older walls were built from stones and boulders cleared from the fields before farming. That is why a wall often shows stones of mixed sizes and shapes, and why a patchwork of small walled fields tells you how rocky the ground was.

Building a traditional double wall

One common type is the “double” wall, made from two vertical faces of stone side by side. The main steps are as follows.

1. The foundation

Foundation stones are set into the ground so that they rest firmly on the subsoil. The first row uses large, flattish stones.

2. Building in courses

The wall rises layer by layer, which is called building in courses. Stones get smaller as the wall climbs. Narrowing the wall as it gets higher, as is traditionally done in Britain, helps make it stronger, so a finished wall is usually wider at the bottom than at the top.

3. Through stones

At intervals, large stones that span both faces are laid across the wall. These are called through stones or tie stones, and some stick out slightly on each side. They bond what would otherwise be two thin walls leaning on one another.

4. Hearting

The gap between the two faces is packed with smaller stones, known as filling or hearting. This stops the faces from shifting and helps spread the load.

5. Capstones

The top layer is made of large stones called capstones or copes. Like the through stones, they span the whole width and hold the wall together from above.

A tradition with very old roots

Dry stone building is old. Some constructions in north-west Europe have been dated back to the Neolithic period. In County Mayo, an entire field system made from dry stone walls, since covered by peat, has been dated to that era. Closer to this site, the slopes of Mount Eagle near Fahan on the Dingle Peninsula are known for dry stone huts, forts and field systems, which is why the area is often described as an open-air museum. The page on Slea Head Drive describes some of the remains along the route.

Walls, farming and hardship

Small walled fields are part of the landscape of small holdings described in the page on the Great Famine in West Kerry. Walls also matter to hill farming today, because they keep stock where it should be, a subject covered in the page on how sheepdogs work hill flocks.

Keeping the craft alive

Walls need repair, since weather, livestock and vegetation loosen stones over time. The Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland is a non-profit, volunteer-run organisation. It describes its aim as creating awareness of the need to preserve the craft of dry stone building in Ireland and advancing public and professional understanding of building and repairing traditional dry stone walls. Dry stone construction is also recognised internationally. On 5 December 2024 UNESCO’s intergovernmental committee, meeting in Asunción, Paraguay, added Ireland to the multinational dry stone entry on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, according to The Irish Times. Andorra, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg were added in the same extension. UNESCO’s own site carries the entry.

Looking at a wall in the field

You can tell a lot from a wall in a few minutes:

• Check the base. Is the bottom wider than the top?
• Look for through stones. Stones sticking out through both faces are a sign of a double wall built to last.

Please do not climb on walls or remove stones. They are boundaries and farm property, and a displaced stone can bring down a section. Use gates and stiles, leave gates as you find them and keep to public paths.

Frequently asked questions

How long can a dry stone wall last?

It depends on the stone, the building quality and upkeep. A well-built wall that is maintained can last a very long time, but there is no single figure.

What is a through stone?

A large stone laid across the full width of a double wall so that it ties the two faces together. Some stick out a little on each side.