Stone mad: How one man revived an ancient Irish sport to keep fit during covid lockdown

David Keohan began lifting heavy stones during covid when he couldn’t go to the gym. What started as a temporary fix has become a life’s purpose and quest

David Keohan, stone lifter. Photograph Moya Nolan

TO SEE David Keohan lifting stones is to witness the embodiment of a culture that stretches back to the dawn of Irish civilisation.

In the last four years, the Waterford native has revived a tradition on the brink of extinction.