Stone Shelters

Series of workshops and site-specific public art installation for Creative Ireland Wilderland project. Wild Nephin Park, Mayo. September 2025

In Ireland, stone has long provided shelter and support, both as a natural feature in the landscape and a building material. Natural stone formations like caves offered early inhabitants protection from the elements, serving as some of the first forms of shelter. Over time, people began shaping the stone around them into enduring structures such as ring forts, tombs and houses.

Stone is just as valuable to animals in the landscape as it has been to humans. Stone structures serve as important microhabitats, providing safe spaces for nesting, hibernation, and protection from predators for small animals.

The 'stones' for this insrtallation were made through a series of workshops where participants made ceramic forms using molds made from stones found in the Owenduff River System in North Mayo. These ‘stones’ then became a functional artwork, gifted to the Altacooney River in collaboration with Park Rangers and workshop participants.

Over time, and with the rise and fall of the river levels, the Stone Shelters will become an integrated element of the river's ecosystem and will be dispersed by the river herself, eventually becoming a safe home or resting place for any of the small creatures that live in or near the river. In time, they may be found again by humans and thought of as artefacts, reminders of how deeply we are connected to our waterways and the life they support.

Find out more about the project events here.

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