Kilkenny Limestone - Irish Blue Limestone
Around 75.000 m² are quarried each year in Old Leighlin, Kellymount and Holdensrath.
Kellymount, Co. Kilkenny
- Located in Paulstown, Co. Kilkenny
- 29,5 hectare site
- Classic Blue and Fossil varieties
- Annual gross extraction rate of 25.000 m³
- Production hub for Irish Blue Limestone slabs and paving for Irish and European markets
Holdensrath, Co. Kilkenny
- Located just outside the historic ‘Marble City’ of Kilkenny
- 27,6 hectare site
- Classic Blue variety
- Annual gross extraction rate of 25.000 m³
- Production hub for Irish Blue Limestone slabs and paving for Irish and European markets
Old Leighlin, Co. Carlow
- James Walshe Quarry & Production Centre
- Located just outside the picturesque villages of Old Leighlin & Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow
- 12,5 hectare site.
- Classic Blue and Fossil varieties
- Annual gross extraction rate of 21.000 m³
- Production hub for Irish and International markets
2 varieties
From these three quarries, we extract mostly classic blue limestone and a special variety with high fossil content.
- Classic blue: This variety of Kilkenny Limestone is bright blue–grey in appearance, its ancient crinoid fossils providing minor tonal variations to the stone. This variety is suitable for many types of finishes. It communicates a beautiful blue hue when a dry-sanded finish is applied to it and can be brought to a pure black background when honed or polished.
- Fossil: This special and distinct material is carefully sourced from a narrow seam of fossil beds and features relics of ancient oysters and coral fragments that contrast with a dark background. These large fossils are unique to Irish blue limestone and only found in the Kilkenny/Carlow region of Ireland.
Applications
Discover all Kilkenny Limestone products
This material has been used for centuries for indoor and outdoor applications. Next to slabs, our range consists of tiles, paving products and many more.
Technical specifications
Irish Blue Limestone was formed some 340 million years ago as a compact crinoidal limestone with a rich fossil content of mainly brachiopods (shellfish) and polyps. Finely dispersed carbon through the stone mass results in a typical blue-grey colour.
| Petrographic classification | Mean value + /- standard deviation | |
| Apparent Density | EN 1936 | 2680 ± 8 kg/m³ |
| Porosity | EN 1936 | 0,4 ± 0,1 % vol |
| Water absorption | EN 13755 | 0,1 ± 0,02 % weight |
| Compressive strength | EN 1926 | 136 ± 13 MPa (E- = 116 MPa) |
| Flexural strength | EN 12372 | 15,1 ± 2,3 MPa (E- = 11,7 MPa) |
| Wear resistance | EN 14157 | 19,2 ± 0,8 mm (E+ = 21 mm) |
| Frost resistance | EN 12371 | Resistant (>168 cycles) |
Get inspired
Learn more about Kilkenny Limestone
Kilkenny Limestone is a Brachot Family Member with 3 quarries and production sites in Ireland. Discover more about Ireland’s leading limestone quarrying & processing operation.