Belgian stone specialist Brachot-Hermant, with a stone wholesale warehouse in Birmingham, is consolidating its Irish Blue limestone business under the name of Kilkenny following its takeover of Stone Developments shortly before Christmas (see NSS December 2013).

Brachot-Hermant had already bought the Kilkenny quarry in Paulstown, Co Kilkenny, from Feelystone in 2010 and the acquisition of Stone Developments has added two more Blue Limestone quarries at Old Leighlin, Co Carlow, and Holdensrath, Co Kilkenny.

The biggest market for the stone is Belgium, where it is used as a match to the Belgium Blue limestone.

The stone from all three Irish quarries will now be marketed as ‘Kilkenny Limestone – Irish Natural Stone’. It is available as paving, tiles and hard landscaping products from Brachot-Hermant in Birmingham. In Ireland, orders are being taken directly from the offices in Carlow and Kilkenny. More details are promised in February.