The tough and perilous work of extracting natural stone along the Cliffs of Moher.
The breathtaking Cliffs of Moher are the workplace of Tommy McDonagh and Gussie Nagle. In strong winds and biting cold high above the sea, they use hammers and wedges to take slabs of stone from the cliffs.
They describe the conditions they work in and the dangers they face from the strong, potentially dangerous winds on the cliff edge.
The stone from their labour is transported to Liscannor, where it is cut, processed and prepared for use. In the early 1970s, large-scale quarrying was revived by the North Clare Quarry Company. There are now four quarries along the cliffs. The stone has potential value as an export to be used as flooring and It already adorns the Tower of London.
The stone is used as flagstones and as flooring in offices and hotels.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 30 January 1981. The reporter is Andrew Kelly.
