David Keohan, known to his followers as Indiana Stones, is reviving the ancient sport of stone lifting in Ireland. The 47-year-old former kettlebell champion has identified 53 lifting stones across the country, some weighing up to 170kg, and is working to get the practice recognised as intangible cultural heritage.
Stone lifting was once a common test of strength and community bonding in Ireland, used at funeral games, harvest festivals, and even as a job interview for stonemasons. Keohan discovered the sport during the Covid-19 pandemic when gyms closed, and he began using stones in his garden for exercise. Inspired by documentaries on stone lifting in Scotland, Iceland, and the Basque region, he made a pilgrimage to lift the 127kg Fianna stone in Scotland.
Keohan's Instagram page has helped stir global interest, with enthusiasts now travelling to remote areas to lift designated stones. A competition organised by the Irish Stone Monsters group has emerged, and ride-sharing company Lyft has sponsored a stone lifting studio in Dublin. Women have also been inspired by the story of Mrs Kildea, a figure who reputedly lifted an enormous boulder in County Clare.
Cultural historian Conor Heffernan of Ulster University notes that stone lifting practices existed across Europe, Asia, and Africa. In Ireland, it sometimes served as a proxy for colonial rebellion, with Catholics finding the strongest man to lift a stone that no Protestant could. Keohan and Heffernan are seeking to have stone lifting added to Ireland's inventory of intangible cultural heritage, a first step toward Unesco recognition.
