Dungannon Sandstone

Upper Carboniferous Millstone Grit Sandstone that outcrops in the area surrounding the town of Dungannon was quarried as building stone and used widely throughout the county. This sandstone is often referred to as ‘Dungannon Sandstone’ and there were a number of Millstone Grit Sandstone quarries (now inactive) in and around the Dungannon area including: Lisnagowan, Mullaghana and Gortnaglush (or Carland) in the Donaghmore Townland and Bloomhill and Edendork in the Tullyniskan Townland.

The sandstone is generally, fine-to medium-grained bedded sandstone with colours and hues ranging from cream, greyish-white, and grey to yellow. This sandstone was used extensively throughout Co. Tyrone and transported to Belfast when the railways were established.

Dungannon Sandstone is usually seen on buildings as quarry-faced stonework with ashlar quoins. It can also be seen with a punched or combed finish and as carved detail on window surrounds and doorways.
In a rural, non-polluted environment Dungannon Sandstone is a very durable material weathering gradually by granular disintegration. In polluted environments this sandstone soils rapidly and develops black crusts. When crusts are breached rapid decay of the sandstone occurs through scaling and granular disintegration. Dungannon Sandstone weathers preferentially and rapidly in the presence of cement-based mortars and renders