In this episode of The Irish Snug Podcast, I’m joined by David Keohan, widely known as Indiana Stones, a man on a singular mission to revive the lost Irish tradition of stone lifting.

For centuries, these massive boulders—scattered across the Irish landscape in fields, graveyards, and coastal villages—served as rites of passage, tests of strength for jobs like stonemasonry, and even ways to honor the dead at funeral games. David discusses how this deep-rooted cultural practice was nearly erased by history and how he used archival research to track down these "stones of strength," some of which haven't been lifted in generations. We dive into the intersection of folklore, physical strength, and the spiritual connection to the land that comes with "getting the wind under the stone."

KEY TOPICS

• The Rediscovery: How David transitioned from a world-champion kettlebell lifter to a "cultural archaeologist" of Irish stone lifting.
• The Schools’ Collection: Using 1930s folklore archives to locate forgotten stones through the stories of schoolchildren.
• The Mythology of Strength: Understanding the legends attached to stones like the Fianna stone and the "manhood stones" of the Aran Islands.
• A Cultural Revival: How stone lifting is reawakening national pride and connecting people with their ancestry today.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Follow David Keohan (Indiana Stones) on Instagram:
• Dúchas.ie: Explore the National Folklore Collection and the Schools' Collection David uses for his research.
• David’s Upcoming Book: The Wind Beneath the Stone: My Quest to Unearth a Piece of Ireland's Folklore (Available for pre-order/release in 2026):
  • Pre-order via Bloomsbury (Ireland & UK)
  • Pre-order via Penguin (US & Canada)
• Documentary: Made of Stone – Available on the RTÉ Player
• Film Inspiration: Fullsterkur (Icelandic Stones), Levantadores (Basque Stones), and Stoneland (Scottish Stones) by Rogue Fitness

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