Traditional Stonemasonry & Conservation

Dominic Keogh prides himself on carrying on the legacy of traditional Irish stone masonry, delivering work that is influenced by a lifetime of research and hands on training in traditional building techniques and methods of conservation, stone cutting and stone carving.

Dominic has made it his life's work to travel and study with some of the best Stone workers and conservation practitioners in the country, gaining a wide ranging skill set which informs his work and allows him to achieve the best results for his clients. In fact, Dominic’s own family tree has a strong legacy of stone cutting, he can track his roots back to the Murray family, who were highly respected stone cutters, carvers and quarry owners in the famous Limestone area of Stradbally, where Limestone is still quarried and cut to this day by their neighbors, the McKeon family.

From traditional dry stone walls to grand historical lime mortared buildings, from vernacular farmhouses to late medieval graveyards, Dominic relies on his experience and skill set to deliver educated and tasteful results, which he sensitively combines with the best of modern conservation practices to achieve the best possible results for his clients.

Whether it is a completely new build that requires traditional techniques to blend it into the landscape or a historical structure that needs sensitive repairs, Memento Mori Stonework work closely with our clients to develop a design suited to their needs and achieve their goals.

It was Dry stone walling that initially drew Dominic to stoneworking, and a fascination with these iconic parts of our landscape is something that still captivates him. Traditional dry stone walling is Stone work in its purest form. Creating structures using gravity and friction as mortar, with very little cutting or manipulation of the stone. Working closely with clients, Dominic designs and builds walls, benches and features that sit seamlessly into their landscape, as they have for thousands of years, as well as repairing field walls and boundaries to ensure they are kept for future generations.
As well as stoneworking, Dominic is an experienced Lime practitioner, and works exclusively with Lime and clay mortars for conservation and restoration work, matching as close to the original mortars and renders used as possible. Dominic draws from his experience with NHL’s, Hot lime, and clay mortars to tailor bespoke mixes for sensitive structural conservation repairs and repointing, helping his clients to achieve the best possible results for their historic structures.
Traditional Vernacular architecture is something Dominic is very passionate about, from traditional farmhouses, to farmyards and humble outbuildings, these were the backbone of our rural landscape up until quite recently. Dominic is at the forefront of helping homeowners navigate the minefield of information and techniques available, to conserve, adapt and work with these buildings to make them viable, comfortable, unique and practical homes for modern living, while still being respectful to their heritage.
Over the years, Dominic has had the opportunity to test his skill set out on many challenging
historic structures, from the ancient Tower house Belvelly castle in Cork, to the Georgian gentry mansion Forenoughts house in Kildare, and even the historic prison of Spike Island, with every job bringing its own unique set of challenges and solutions. Blending traditional techniques with the latest in modern conservation methods and materials, and working closely with architects, engineers, or Heritage officers allows Dominic to solve problems without compromising the structural or aesthetic integrity of these sometimes very sensitive structures.
Monument, Grave and Mausolea work requires a sensitive touch, with many displaying the pinnacle of the stonecutter and carvers skills through architectural detail and flourishes. Dominic has worked on the conservation and repair of many historically important Mausoleau and monuments, including the Vandeleur vault in Kilrush, the Deburgh pyramids in Naas, and the ancient graveyard of St Tiernachs in Clones.