The County Donegal Heritage Office and the Irish Stone Walls Forum has begun to document its heritage with a preliminary survey of dry-stone walls in County Donegal as part of the County Donegal Heritage Plan (2007-2011).

The focus of this initial research will be to document the different types of dry-stone wall types that exist in the county.

Dry-stone walls contribute to the regional character of County Donegal's landscapes and are a reflection of local geology, traditional building skills and historical landownership and farming patterns.

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A recent initiative saw volunteers formally document dry-stone walls in their area while, over the summer, a typology of dry-stone walls types will be developed at a free follow-up seminar in the autumn.

The underlying geology and traditional building skills contribute to regional differences in stone wall types such as the single, granite stone walls of Bloody Foreland.

In July 2006, the Irish Stone Walls Forum was established to raise awareness of stone walls in Ireland and to promote their conservation.

(BMcC)