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| Kilkenny marble heart pendant, Dubh Linn |
Irish,
Kilkenny marble is a black,
carboniferous limestone laced with ancient fossils. Indigenous to Ireland, this stone has been mined in the midlands for centuries. Most commonly, it is used as a building material, but also for carving statues, mantle pieces, rosary beads, candlesticks etc, and today, a limited amount is used in Irish jewellery. It takes a high polish but is equally lovely left in a matte state.
Historically, there were several marble quarries in the Kilkenny region including Gallows Hill, Archers Grove, Black Quarry Hill and Butlers Grove outside Gowran. The latter is the only working quarry in the area that is mining Kilkenny black marble. A pure black version of the stone is found further West around Galway.
Kilkenny is known as The
Marble City as many of the pavements (sidewalks), curbs and public buildings of
the town feature this locally sourced, dark stone. When it rains, the black footpaths glisten and reflect the street lights beautifully.
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| Daniel O'Connell's Monument |
In Dublin, it is famously incorporated into the burial site at
Glasnevin cemetery of
Daniel O'Connell, champion for Catholic rights,
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| Kilkenny marble earrings |
I'm proud to include this Irish marble in my jewellery whenever I can get my hands on the rare beads.
To read about Connemara marble Click
HERE
To read a snippet on Cork Red marble Click
HERE
