Made to order
Custom statues, carved to order in marble
Not in the catalogue? It can still be carved. If it can be carved, we can carve it — send us a photograph or a drawing of what you have in mind and we will tell you what it takes to make it.
What can be made to order
Any statue, at any size, carved by hand in marble. In practice, people come to us for four kinds of piece. A saint we do not stock: a parish’s patron, a founder of a religious order, a local Irish saint, a newly canonised saint. A statue scaled to a place: a niche, a plinth or a grotto that nothing standard fits. A memorial: a statue for a grave, a memorial garden or a church, given in someone’s name. And, now and again, statues that are not religious at all.
Made-to-order work is always by enquiry, and we quote before anything is made. Nothing is carved, and nothing is paid for, until you have seen the cost and agreed it.
How it works
Send us what you have in mind
A photograph of a statue you have seen, a holy card, a painting or a drawing. The clearer the image of the face and the pose, the better.
Tell us where it will stand
The height, width and depth of the space, indoors or out, and a photograph of the place if you can. A niche or plinth decides the size more than anything else.
We tell you what it takes
Whether it can be carved as you imagine it, at what size, what it will cost, how long it will take, and the delivery. If something would not work — a pose too fragile for stone, a niche too shallow — we say so plainly.
You decide
Only once you have agreed the quote does any work begin.
Delivery
We deliver marble ourselves to any county in the Republic of Ireland, or you can collect free in Termonbarry, Co. Roscommon. For a piece going abroad, ask and we will quote for it.
Who asks for made-to-order statues
Parishes
A statue of the parish patron, a replacement for an old grotto figure, or a statue sized to an existing niche. See church statues.
Religious communities
The founder or patron of a congregation, often not available anywhere as a stock statue. See statues for religious communities.
Schools
The saint the school is named for, as a gift from a past-pupils’ union or for an anniversary. See statues for schools.
Families
A memorial statue, a favourite saint for the garden, or a statue to match one that has been in the family for generations. See memorial statues.
Before you write: what helps
Measurements are the single most useful thing. For a niche, measure the height, the width at the front and the depth, and note whether the back is curved. For a plinth, measure the top. For a garden or grotto, a photograph from where people will stand tells us a great deal about the size the statue needs to be — our large statues page explains how to judge it.
If the statue is of a saint, tell us how they are usually shown: the habit, the objects they hold, any symbol that people expect to see. An image that you or your community already love is the best guide of all. If you would like an inscription or a name carved on the base, say so.
Before asking for something new, it is worth looking through the marble collection: a piece already carved may be closer to what you need than you expect.
Already carved
The marble statues in the shop today — a guide to the style and finish of our carving.
Our Lady of Knock
Hand-carved marble
€1,600
Holy Family
Hand-carved marble
€2,800
Our Lady of Lourdes (Fine Detail)
Hand-carved marble · 3ft 3in
€2,400
Our Lady of Lourdes (Blue Ribbon)
Hand-carved marble · blue ribbon
€2,100
Our Lady of Grace
Hand-carved marble
€2,150
Our Lady of the Assumption
Hand-carved marble
€1,800
The Divine Mercy
Hand-carved marble
€1,650
Jesus the Good Shepherd
Hand-carved marble
€1,700
Questions about made-to-order statues
Can you carve any saint?
If it can be carved, we can carve it. Send a clear image of how the saint is usually shown and the size you need, and we will tell you what it takes.
How much does a made-to-order statue cost?
It depends on the size, the detail and the stone needed, so every piece is quoted individually. You see the full cost, including delivery, before anything is made.
How long does it take?
It depends on the piece. We tell you how long when we quote, so you can decide whether it suits a date you have in mind, such as a feast day or an anniversary.
Can it be made in painted resin instead of marble?
Made-to-order work is carved in marble. If you are looking for colour, browse the painted range or ask us whether a stock piece would suit.
Can you carve a name or an inscription?
Ask us when you write. Tell us the words and where you would like them, and we will say what is possible on the piece.
Do you make statues that are not religious?
Yes, now and again. Send us a photograph or drawing of what you have in mind.
Can you make a statue for someone outside Ireland?
Our delivery is within the Republic of Ireland, but write to us: we will tell you honestly whether we can help and quote for delivering it abroad.
Tell us what you have in mind
Send a photograph or a drawing, and the measurements of the place it will stand. We will tell you what it takes to make it.
Updated
Read next
Large statues
A statue meant to fill a niche, stand at the end of a garden or be seen from the back of a church has to be bigger than people expect. Here is how to judge the size, and what to plan before a heavy statue arrives.
Church statues
A statue in a church has to read from the back of the nave, suit the building it stands in, and last longer than any of the people who chose it. This page is for parish priests, sacristans and committees working that out.
Memorial statues
When someone dies, a statue can do what flowers cannot: stay. Placed in the house, the garden or at the grave, it becomes the spot where a family keeps praying for the one they have lost.
Marble statues
Hand-carved marble is the statue that outlasts everyone who bought it. It is also heavy, dearer than resin and has its own needs. Here is the honest version, so you can decide whether it is right for you.
Religious communities
A community prays before the same statue every day, often for decades. This page is for sisters, brothers, priests and lay groups choosing a statue for a chapel, a house or a weekly meeting.