The Irish countryside is a patchwork of over 250,000 miles of stone wall. Built from local stone according to the style of each region - dry stone in the West and the Mourne mountains or mortar elsewhere - these walls are an intrinsic part of the landscape. This unique guide by expert stone mason Pat McAfee covers the history of this ancient tradition, giving illustrated examples and step-by-step instructions on constructing, conserving and repairing stone walls of all types - whether dry stone or mortar. It includes:

• History of stone in Ireland
• How to build dry stone and mortar walls
• Basic and more advanced techniques
• Dos and don'ts of repair work
• Appropriate conservation methods