Publication date: 1 January 2027
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781806551613
Number of illustrations: 141
Marble in the Making
From quarry to building in Victorian Ireland
Louise Caulfield (Author)
Ireland’s geological bedrock, though often overlooked, contains an exceptional range of varicoloured marbles comparable to continental varieties and in some cases superior. Marble in the Making focuses on Victorian Ireland, an architectural landscape characterised by neo-Gothic design and the high point of indigenous marble production. It demonstrates that the architecture of this period is distinguished by native polychromy, a feature that was shaped by the resurgence of Gothic architecture and driven by post-Famine entrepreneurship and industrialisation.
This is the first major study of Irish marble. It uncovers the largely unheard-of marble industry by tracing stone from quarry source to marble works to building. The book’s interdisciplinary approach identifies key marble deposits and their distinctive characteristics, outlines workshop and quarry practices, reconstructs trade paths and reveals connections between communities. It enables a holistic and contextual attribution of architectural marble and broadens the understanding of nineteenth-century Irish Gothic Revival architecture. Moreover, this research repositions Irish marble within an international framework, highlighting its contribution to transnational material culture and geological heritage.
Contents
List of figures
List of tables
List of abbreviations
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1 Irish marble’s industrial motivation
2 The genesis of marble quarrying
3 Breaking new ground: expansion and diversification
4 Beyond the block: the marble makers
Afterword
Appendix
References
Index
DOI: 10.14324/111.9781806551613
Number of illustrations: 141
Publication date: 01 January 2027
PDF ISBN: 9781806551613
EPUB ISBN: 9781806551620
Hardback ISBN: 9781806551590
Paperback ISBN: 9781806551606
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Marble in the Making
From quarry to building in Victorian Ireland
Publication date: January 1, 2027
Open Access PDF ISBN: 9781806551613
Paperback ISBN: 9781806551606
Hardback ISBN: 9781806551590
Trim size (hardback): 23.4cm x 15.6cm
Trim size (paperback): 23.4cm x 15.6cm
Ireland’s geological bedrock, though often overlooked, contains an exceptional range of varicoloured marbles comparable to continental varieties and in some cases superior. Marble in the Making focuses on Victorian Ireland, an architectural landscape characterised by neo-Gothic design and the high point of indigenous marble production. It demonstrates that the architecture of this period is distinguished by native polychromy, a feature that was shaped by the resurgence of Gothic architecture and driven by post-Famine entrepreneurship and industrialisation.
This is the first major study of Irish marble. It uncovers the largely unheard-of marble industry by tracing stone from quarry source to marble works to building. The book’s interdisciplinary approach identifies key marble deposits and their distinctive characteristics, outlines workshop and quarry practices, reconstructs trade paths and reveals connections between communities. It enables a holistic and contextual attribution of architectural marble and broadens the understanding of nineteenth-century Irish Gothic Revival architecture. Moreover, this research repositions Irish marble within an international framework, highlighting its contribution to transnational material culture and geological heritage.
