FP McCann’s Causeway Supplied to Local Stonemasonry Company Stone Solutions

Status: Completed

Location: Various

Division: Quarrying

Market Sector: Building/Stonemasonry

Client: Stone Solutions Stonemasons Ltd.
(Contact: +44 79 4637 4618 / info@stone-solutions.co.uk)

FP McCann’s Bradley’s quarry supplies our Causeway stone in its uncut form to Stone Solutions, Magherafelt, where it is cut for use in a range of local projects.

Our Causeway building stone is Basalt Stone which is extracted from both our Loughside and Bradley’s quarry locations. The experienced stonemasons at Stone Solutions extract the larger stones from the quarry face, then take delivery of these at their premises in Magherafelt. It is then expertly cut down to specification using a specialised guillotine, which leaves it perfect for bagged building stone.

The stone is cut and shaped to a range of sizes to suit different project requirements. Larger cuts of stone are guillotined for use in walling and buildings and smaller cuts are then cut down further for use as Stone Solutions 30mm Natural Stone Cladding flats and corner stones (pictured).

Stone Solutions offers customers who want to use our Causeway stone the option of having it supplied in a ready-to-use form, from a local supplier. They also have a team of fitters who offer an installation service.

Stone Solutions was founded by Gary Harkness, a third generation stonemason with over 20 years of expertise in the field. Stone Solutions only use Irish stone, with Gary recognising a niche in the market for high-quality, locally sourced, stone cladding.

Gary said: “A lot of cladding used in the past was imported from abroad and didn’t have the quality that we see with our own locally quarried stone. We pride ourselves in offering a premium quality cladding which, when properly installed, has the appearance of full stonework.”

Due to continued growth the company expanded its operations and moved to new premises outside Magherafelt in January 2023. The have recently invested in a much larger saw and guillotine which are due for installation later this year. This will enable them to cut from larger rock boulders, therefore increasing capacity further.

Stone Solutions have used our basalt on a range of projects, including new walling at St. John The Baptist Church, Swatragh (pictured below) and cladding for the frontage of various newbuild properties throughout Mid Ulster and the surrounding areas.

Gary said: “We began working with FP McCann in 2023. We take the unguillotined stone and shape it to meet the needs of our customers, providing a ready-to-use material which is versatile and durable with a lovely unique appearance. It is a firm favourite with our customers.”

FP McCann’s Causeway stone has been used in a number of other notable projects over the years, including at the Old Bushmills Distillery and The Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre.

FP McCann also quarries Ennis Stone, a unique blue-grey limestone, from our Clarke’s Quarry in Lisnaskea.

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