Southern Ireland's flourishing economy of the last six or seven years has been something of a novelty for the Irish natural stone industry. For centuries the only booming industry in this outpost of Europe has been emigration (some 70m people throughout the world can claim Irish descent) but the mid-1990s brought unexpected prosperity and opportunity to this small republic and its population of just 3.6m, the smallest in the EU.
The main reason for Ireland's boom was its membership of the EU. Development aid flowed inwards and has transformed Ireland from one of the poorest countries in Europe into the so-called Celtic Tiger. Signs of this aid are, literally, everywhere. Roads and bridges in particular. Drive a few miles in any direction and there is another star spangled blue sign proclaiming: "This project has received financial assistance from the European Union".
Construction output leapt, reaching IR£14bn and 19% of Ireland's total economic activity last year, and for perhaps the first time in corporate memory, stone companies found such a high level of local demand that the competitive world of exports could be neglected. At its peak, with stone firms working flat out to satisfy local orders, competitive tendering almost disappeared; to the customer, obtaining a supply was of more importance than the price of that supply. These were golden days for the stone industry.
Commercial building led the way, especially in Dublin. Here, the traditional building stone is grey granite, originally from the Wicklow Mountains which lie just to the south of the capital. Although imported granites have broadened the palette from which architects can choose their stone, Ireland is not greatly influenced by fashion or trends. Light grey remains the predominant colour and usually has a bush-hammered finish. However, it is now more likely to be imported granite, especially Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese. Irish granite is hard won, usually from a hole rather than from the side of a hill, so it is expensive compared with some imported granites. As a result, the domestic grey granite is used increasingly for restoration only.
While use of local granite has reduced, Ireland's blue limestone remains in great demand. It is as hard as many granites, has low porosity and takes a high polish. About 50,000m3 is produced annually and it is used for paving, roofing, walling, tiling and worktops. Official figures show that 35% of Ireland's stone exports are limestone and most of this goes to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Its popularity in Belgium is due to its resemblance to Belgian marble (a diminishing resource).
Including blue limestone, some 98% of the country's stone exports go to its nearest neighbours. But sandstone is the largest single export and almost all of it goes to the UK. Ireland produces relatively little sandstone; almost of its sandstone exports are sandstones that originated in the UK but was sent to the Irish Republic to be worked. Imports have made considerable impact in the market over the last decade. Last year they totalled over IR£26m and more than three-quarters of this total arrived from the EU (IR£ 0.79 = 1Euro). Nearly 45% (IR£8.8m) came from Spain and nearly 80% of it was roof slate. The UK was the second largest source (IR£5.6m), mostly accounted for with roofing slate. The third largest source in the EU was Belgium, again mostly roof slates, but both China and India sent more stone than Belgium.
China was responsible for just under IR£3m of imports, two-thirds of which was finished granite, paving and tiles. Sending just marginally less, at a total of IR£2.8m. was India; 80% of this was finished granite destined for the monumental trade. Although the figures show relatively little European limestone being imported, both French and Portuguese limestones are slowly gaining ground in Ireland while British Portland Stone has long been used for government and other civil buildings.
After several booming years the Irish economy is starting to cool. Growth was 12% in 1999 and 10% last year and is forecast to drop to 7% this year before stepping down to 4% in 2003. Construction activity is slowing. Natural stone prices are under pressure again and, although order books for the rest of this year are still reasonably full, many stone companies are looking around for new markets.
Some, like James Murphy & Sons who quarry and work both a grey Dublin granite and an Irish blue limestone, are planning to increase their offering to the domestic market and have begun to import stones. The company has previously worked mainly in the commercial market but is now intending to target the private housing market, especially for kitchen worktops which have become very popular in Ireland.
There is certainly more stone being used throughout the Irish house and increasingly it is imported stones that are being chosen. Irish blue limestone or grey granite used to be the natural choice for fireplaces but French limestones are doing well in this market. In a development of 12 houses in Shackleton Village, for example, each house (price IR£465,000) has one French limestone fireplace and one Irish limestone fireplace. And a well-respected specialist mason, Francis McCormack, has recently added French style fireplaces built of Corton and Cluny limestones to his showroom.
Other companies are looking further a field for new markets because the needs of Ireland's tiny population cannot offer sufficient work once the current buoyancy in the market trails off. Stone Developments, Ireland's longest established stone company and one of its largest with a turnover of IR£17.5m, used the financial rewards of the boom to invest in machinery and a new factory. The company quarries and works a grey granite but its main product, in terms of quantity, is Irish blue limestone (1000m3 per month).
Stone Developments also works, finishes and exports a lot of foreign stones although the quantity fell dramatically during Ireland's economic revival. Now the company is aiming for the export market again but it is its own Irish blue limestone that it is promoting most aggressively this time. Excellent results have been achieved very quickly in the UK where the stone is a novelty and has recently been specified for its first major London project. The company is also investing in a major marketing push this autumn into the USA where some 45million Americans claim Irish descent.
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