About Kilkenny Limestone Quarries Ltd.
Kilkenny Limestone is Ireland’s Leading Limestone Quarrying & Processing Operation
Our Company
Kilkenny Limestone Quarries is rooted in a fine tradition of blue limestone production. Inspired by centuries of master-craftsmen before us, we are honoured to be the principal suppliers of the stone to modern day architectural and design projects from rural Ireland to downtown Manhattan. Production of our entire blue limestone range is carried out at our Irish quarry facilities in Carlow and Kilkenny under a rigorous quality system.
Our Mission
At the cornerstone of Kilkenny Limestone’s philosophy is the facilitation of inspirational design through the supply of superior, natural Irish materials, enabling a first class legacy from the visionary architects, artists and craftsmen of our age to future generations. We believe our success to date is reflected in the many prestigious projects on which we have been chosen as creative collaborators. Our vision for the years ahead places Kilkenny Limestone at the architectural and artistic nexus of this age, as we seek to become the provider of choice for premium blue limestone to leading designers worldwide.
- Located just outside the historic ‘Marble City’ of Kilkenny
- 27.6 hectare site
- Classic Blue variety
- Annual extraction rate of 25,000m³ (gross block)
- Production hub for Irish Blue Limestone slabs and paving for Irish and European markets
- Located in Paulstown, Co. Kilkenny
- 29.5 hectare site
- Classic Blue, Darker Shade, & Fossil varieties
- Annual extraction rate of 25,000m³ (gross block)
- Production hub for Irish Blue Limestone slabs and paving for Irish and European markets
- James Walshe Quarry & Production Centre
- Located just outside the picturesque villages of Old Leighlin & Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow
- 12.5 hectare site.
- Classic Blue, Darker Shade, & Fossil varieties
- Annual extraction rate of 21,000m³ (gross block)
From 3 million cubic metres of blue limestone reserves at Old Leighlin, Kellymount and Holdensrath, Kilkenny Limestone annually quarries c.75,000m³ for processing into limestone slab and its full suite of finished stone products.
R&D: Advanced geological research, coupled with analysis of core samples extracted from future reserves, provides essential information on colour, texture and fracture zones, enabling us to develop a precise planning schedule months in advance.
The latest limestone-processing equipment is present at Kilkenny Limestone, from fast texturing options to a semi-automated tile cutting line.
Our advanced IT-system allows for full traceability throughout the quarry and factory production process, which means each customer-order can be traced back to a certain layer in each quarry.
Equipment: Kilkenny Limestone’s production process use diamond-wire saws and diamond-tipped chainsaws to carve through the massive beds of rock. Cooling water, recycled through settlement ponds on the quarry floors, prevents overheating of the saws and suppresses dust production during the process.
Transportation: Huge limestone blocks are then conveyed from quarry to production plant using modern haulers. Mobile cranes lift the blocks from the stock yards and position them onto frame saws, monoblade saws, diamond wire saws or circular saws. Kilkenny Limestone transports the Limestone-material between its 3 locations; Holdensrath, Kellymount and Old Leighlin. Regular inter-quarry transport allows Kilkenny Limestone to fully utilize its capacity in the production factories.
Production: During the primary and secondary cutting stages, diamond-cutting technology guarantees precision-cut stone and minimal wastage. A combination of bridgesaws and tile-cutting lines assures Kilkenny Limestone recovers as much limestone as possible throughout the entire operation. Various tile-processing machines are also present to further characterize the limestone.
Kilkenny Limestone offers a solution for individual tiles for either an antique or modern limestone look. No matter which style you choose, you can be guaranteed each tile is unique. Expert sawing stonemasons arrive to cut, shape and finish the stone to customer specifications, engaging a variety of mechanical and manual techniques to achieve individual effects.
Packing & Delivery: The finished stone products are finally ready for packaging and shipment to our customers worldwide. Kilkenny Limestone uses a customer friendly way of packaging, each pallet or crate comes covered in a pallet hood, preventing your product from weathering before arrival. Therefore your product arrives protected from all weather conditions. Every pallet or crate is strapped using the latest technology. Worldwide shipping is available to all of our customers.