The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) will host a number of dry stone walling day courses at its Hill Farm Centre in Glenwherry, Ballymena, Co. Antrim throughout May.
The training will be an introduction to single skinned dry stone walling for field boundary repairs and maintenance, CAFRE explained.
The day courses will consist of a classroom session and an on-site practical exercise. The course will cover information on health and safety, types and styles of dry stone walls, site preparation, stone selection, and the skills required to construct and maintain the walls.
The training sessions, which are free of charge, will each take place over the course of one day, beginning at 10:00a.m. and finishing at approximately 3:00p.m.
According to CAFRE, dry stone walls are integral to the fabric of the landscape and can last for many lifetimes if properly maintained.
The iconic infrastructure was classified as a ‘protected cultural heritage’ by UNESCO in December 2024.
Dry stone walls also reportedly provide excellent shelter and homes for a wide range of small mammals, birds, and insects, therefore their existence has additional biodiversity benefits.
Examples of the walls can be found in the Mourne Mountains and the Glens of Antrim.
CAFRE’s biodiversity technologist, Niamh Woods said: “The course will give participants the skills and knowledge to repair and maintain a single skinned dry stone wall to be stock-proof, maintain biosecurity with neighbouring farms and comply with agri-environment scheme agreements.
“Each course will take place for one day and will include a short theory session followed by an on-site practical and is open to all farmers, land managers, or enthusiasts.”
This training event will be particularly beneficial for farmers and land managers who are completing dry stone walling as part of their Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) Agreement, CAFRE stated.
Participants on the course are required to wear strong work gloves, steel toe capped boots, and warm outdoor clothing, and to bring a packed lunch and drinks. All other tools and safety equipment will be provided on the day, CAFRE maintained.
The prospective training course dates are as follows:
- Wednesday, May 7;
- Thursday, May 8;
- Wednesday, May 21;
- Thursday, 22 May – which is now fully booked.
CAFRE advised interested participants to register attendance on the college’s website.
