Bringing Irish marble back into fashion

Irish marble’s purpose is being reinvented with the home in mind, writes Carol O’Callaghan. 

Connemara marble has found a new application away from churches, and leprechaun ornaments which were once so beloved by American tourists, looking to take a piece of old Ireland home with them.

Reinventing its use is Eric Byrne, whose background as a stonemason, coupled with his love of marble as a material, fostered the desire to reinvigorate the stone. It turned a recession-hit livelihood making fireplaces and kitchen and bathroom work surfaces into a success, by taking marble and fashioning it into useful and beautiful items for the domestic table top.