Ireland’s Dry Stone Construction receives UNESCO recognition

Ireland’s practice of Dry Stone Construction has officially been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The inscription was officially announced on Thursday, December 5 during the 19th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which is being held in Asunción, Paraguay through December 7.

Ireland's Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media said on Thursday that the UNESCO recognition is part of an international application, led by Ireland, which also recognized similar cultural traditions in Andorra, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg under the inscription Dry Stone Construction, Knowledge & Techniques.

🔴 BREAKING

New inscription on the #IntangibleHeritage List (extension): Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques.

Congratulations #Andorra🇦🇩, #Austria🇦🇹, #Belgium🇧🇪, #Ireland🇮🇪, #Luxembourg🇱🇺 to join 🇭🇷🇨🇾🇫🇷🇬🇷🇮🇹🇸🇮🇪🇸🇨🇭!https://t.co/NrLCcg15Sf #LivingHeritage pic.twitter.com/L6QBA2py9K

— UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳 (@UNESCO) December 5, 2024

The Department said it worked closely with the Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland to support the nomination.

“Inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is wonderful news for all of the communities involved in the safeguarding of the practice here," Ken Curran of the Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland said.

"The communities in Ireland join an ever-increasing international community of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

"Resultant connections are being formed, knowledge-sharing is taking place, the safeguarding of the practice is being strengthened, and the wonderful culture of dry stone construction is being celebrated more and more."

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Curran explained: "Dry Stone Walling is the practice of building with stone, on its own, without any mortar.

"And the technique uses the material to create points of contact so that you can build in a way that's structurally sound."

He added: "It's something that's been practiced in Ireland, and around the world, as well, but in Ireland since the early Neolithic [period], so since we've been living here and creating communities, it's been part of our practice and it's been part of our culture." 

Dry Stone Construction is Ireland's fifth inscription on the UNESCO Representative List.

Ireland’s first nomination, Uilleann Piping, was officially inscribed in 2017, followed by Hurling in 2018, Irish Harping in 2019, and Irish Falconry in 2021.