The Marble of Clonmacnoise, Limestone Quarrying at Clerhane, (Clorhane), Shannonbridge, Co.Offaly by Declan Ryan, published by Offaly County Council 2013

This book is now available in  Offaly History on Bury Quay, Midland Books on High Street, Robbins in the Tanyard in Tullamore. The book describes Clorhane townland, the surrounding area and tells the story of the quarries, their owners and the craftsmen who worked there from early records, to their heyday, decline and eventual closure. The type of stone, the work of cutting and carving and the resultant output and the many fine buildings to which they contributed are also examined.

Please note much of the land is in private ownership and permission should be sought from landowners before entering. If in doubt please contact heritage@offalycoco.ie

‘Of the many quarries that operated in Offaly during the centuries before stonecraft declined and almost ended with the arrival of modern concrete, few enjoyed greater prestige than Clerhane, whose crinoidal limestone is one of the most beautiful of Irish building stones. In his meticulous study of the stone industry at Clerhane Declan Ryan has  painstakingly salvaged all that survives from oral record and tradition and the documentary record, and set this against the physical background of the quarries themselves and their geographical context. In highlighting the achievement of the quarrymen of Clerhane this lovely book will do much to draw appreciative attention to this aspect of the environmental heritage of one of the most remarkable places in Offaly, and stimulate comparable attention to other facets of that heritage. John Feehan, Syngefield, Birr.