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Sean

@seanurq

621

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Husband/Father/Teacher/Coach
Historic Stone Lifter
🇺🇲-3 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿-12 🇮🇪-16 🇫🇴-34 🇯🇵-34 🇮🇸-42 🇸🇪-62 🇵🇪-1
Former Highland Games Athlete

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My entry for the @maximumiron Online Stonelifting Comp with @bigsexygrandad101 ..For over 2 years, this stone evaded me. For over 2 years, I've busted my butt to get stronger. I never once doubted that I would lift this stone. It was just a matter of when I lifted it. 405 lbs Stone of Agony. It is no longer my white whale. I have lifted much heavier stones in the past, but this one is special. There is no cheating hard work. If you want it, go get it. ..@travel_liftstones_repeat @_indiana_stones_ @jacobliftsstones @newenglandstonelifting @stonesofstrength_podcast @stonesandsteel @crawfordov24 ..#Fullsterkur #FullstUrquhart #UrqFace #UrqStrong #Urqulese #HoldMyStones #Stonelifting #NaturalStoneLifting #NattyNaturalStoneLifting #Strongman #EarthMeat #SeánThePounder by @seanurq

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2 years ago

(This is the complete demonstration since the last post didn't include everything.)..Today, I had the pleasure of performing for my school's talent show in which I bent steel into a fish, bent a horseshoe, and lifted a stone. Hearing my students chanting, "Mr. U" was something truly special. I'm so grateful for the opportunities that this year has brought, and I look forward to many more...I would also like to thank some truly incredible strongmen who inspired the "strongman show." @budjeffries @weinersteven @caveman.daveman @nick_strongmanbender @avastyematey @newenglandstonelifting @jokabug_the_lazy_old_faka @beyondthebendpodcast @juiciville..#UrqFace #UrqStrong #Urqulese #FullstUrquhart #HoldMyStones #Stonelifting #NaturalStoneLifting #NattyNaturalStoneLifting #HistoricStoneLifting #SeánThePounder #Strongman by @seanurq

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a year ago

Ultach Alasdair Mor (410 lbs) ..This stone has been on my bucket list for some time. A true challenge to break the ground, few men have ever lifted this stone to their lap, and even fewer have lifted it to their chest. This lift makes me the 3rd person in recorded history to lift this particular stone to my chest...My put down could have used more grace but I lost my balance and footing in the boggy grass and was not able to maintain my locked out position... Only just a few years ago this stone was lost and buried until @bigsexygrandad101 rediscovered it. ..History: In 1849 the highland clearances began at which point the police removed 600 people from the area. However, they did not want to meet big Alisdair, so they coaxed him away with the promise of food whilst the evitions took place. Alisdair was the only man of the time to lift this stone so it was named after him...#UrqFace #UrqStrong #FullstUrquhart #Stonelifting #Scotland by @seanurq

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a month ago

Part 2/3 of the story of our attempts to find Ultach Dhomhnail Iain Dhonnachaidh EabhailPart two was to be our attempts of finding this stone across two days, along with @seanurq and some discussion on where we looked, why we looked there, thoughts on where we could look next and finishing off with some talk on stone lifting ethics inspired by our research. However Instagram limits videos to twenty minutes, and we yabbered on in an empty CalMac ferry lounge for longer than that filming part two. So there is a part three, which is the ethicsy talk, and it would be interesting to hear people's thoughts on that one in particular!@liftingstones_org @stonesofstrength_podcast @the_stone_tablepodcast @sherlock_stones_ @seanurq by @seanurq

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5 days ago

On our way back from North Uist, Calum and I decided to record the process we went through in our attempts to find the lost Ultach Dhomhnail Iain Dhonnachaidh Eabhail (a very large lifting stone on North Uist, if the estimated weight is roughly correct it'd be the heaviest one in Scotland, and one of the heaviest in the world.) As perhaps the word attempts suggests, we weren't successful - spoiler alert. So we've saved you thirty plus minutes (across the two parts) of two blokes chatting in front of a ferry window. However, if you're still reading, we thought that there might be one or two people interested in the process we undertook, the information and history uncovered along the way, and the actual feet on ground adventure of trying to find this stone, along with @seanurq who we basically dragged over the Atlantic with promises of this stone. Oops. Additionally, documenting what we have done and the information we have based our assumptions/plans upon may still in finding this stone - we now no where not to look, and have some ideas about where to look, which we go over in part two.We've both got no experience talking to a camera for this long, nor in video editing, so please excuse our amateurism, we hope at least a handful find these videos interesting! I'll stop babbling, here is part one of our ramblings.@liftingstones_org @stonesofstrength_podcast @the_stone_tablepodcast by @seanurq

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24 days ago

Ultach Ailean Raghnaill (400 lbs) ..No need for coffee to wake you up before the early ferry...just lift heavy stones!!..History: Alan MacDonald was 18 years old when he lifted a stone at this location which was estimated to weigh in excess of 500 lbs. He did this prior to departing for a iob in the shipyards of Glasgow. His lift was in line with an ancient trait of male Gaelic culture. Specifically, it was a desire to prevent his community from forgetting him, even if he was never to return. He tragically died in an industrial accident within weeks of leaving the islands. Unfortunately, the contractors destroyed his stone when widening the road. The locals were furious and demanded that a replacement be put in its place. Comically, the contractors chose a stone in the realm of 700 lbs. In more recent times, a more suitable replacement was established. ..#UrqFace #UrqStrong #FullstUrquhart #Stonelifting #Scotland by @seanurq

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a month ago

Clach ic Caoilte aka The Dark Stone (328 lbs)..History: The stone known as Clach ic caoilte is etched into Gaelic folklore through mythical tales of fairies and goblins. At one time the the stone location was a place used for Christian worship before the time of the church. The "Clach ic Caoilte is a large dark stone which has been used for centuries as a test of strength for local men. The stone was last lifted by Donald McVicar in 1820 until more recent times when it was rediscovered. ..#UrqFace #UrqStrong #FullstUrquhart #Stonelifting #Scotland by @seanurq

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a month ago

Ultach Domhaill Mor (aka) The Burden of Big Donald (459 lbs) ..History: The stone was first lifted in 1876 by Big Donald Mclellan. The plaque claims that "this stone was pressed overhead by Donald Mclellan circa 1876." Believe what you want, but even to this day, Big Donald's family stands firm that he pressed the stone overhead...Lift: I opted for the hav lift which I believe is the traditional lift of ultach stones on North Uist. I did attempt a few lap attempts but couldn't find the correct positions at 459 lbs. ..#UrqFace #UrqStrong #FullstUrquhart #Stonelifting #Scotland by @seanurq

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a month ago

Clach MacAskill (352 lbs) ..A modern lifting stone placed by @bigsexygrandad101 at the Giant Angus MacAskill memorial cairn in Berneray...History: Angus MacAskill was born in Berneray in 1825. He was 7'9" and a literal giant of a man. He partook in legendary feats of strength and was regarded as the strongest man to ever live. The memorial cairn stands exactly as tall as Angus. The surrounding landscapes are incredibly beautiful. It's easy to forget you're still in Scotland on these gorgeous beaches. ..#UrqFace #UrqStrong #FullstUrquhart #Stonelifting #Scotland by @seanurq

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a month ago

Ultach Ghilleasbuig Ailein Heisgeir (512 lbs)..History: The stone is named after the first person who lifted it, Ghilleasbuia (Gillespie), son of Ailein (Alan McDonald) of Heisgeir. Like the other stones on North Uist, the stones were named after the lifter. Gillespie was born around 1840, so it was expected he lifted it sometimes around 1860 or so as the young men would go and try it. ..We're not entirely sure how it was lifted. It could have been leveraged off of the ground using his knees, Hav lifted (which could coincide with the Norse influence on the island), or even possibly flipped over as even just picking up one end of the stone was a great challenge. I managed an extremely difficult Hav lift which felt like a combination of a snatch grip deadlift with a sumo stance. It's hard to appreciate the size of this stone until you're there. ..#UrqFace #UrqStrong #FullstUrquhart #Stonelifting #Scotland by @seanurq

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a month ago

Ultach Aligean Mor (427 lbs) ..Not historic in nature but significant for the journey that has led to this stone becoming a lifting stone. When Peter Martin and Alex Roberts set forth to rediscover the stone lifting culture on North Uist, they had impressed the locals so much so that Alex was asked to lift this stone in which case it was given a name in his honor...After Alex's lift, the land owner had wanted to place the stone with a plaque in his honor. For whatever reason this had not happened and the land owner passed away. Fast forward many years to now when @sherlock_stones_ and @jacobliftsstones rediscovered the lost stone still resting behind the old smithy. The neighbor eagerly watched our attempts and expressed much interest in relocating this stone to a more fitting location for future lifting. ..I managed wind beneath the stone and attempted one lap but did not succeed. No further attempts were taken since I was planning to lift Big Alisdair shortly after. ..#UrqFace #UrqStrong #FullstUrquhart #Stonelifting #Scotland by @seanurq

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a month ago

Ultach Ghillie Mhoire also known as The Weight/Burden of Morrison (368 lbs) ..This stone, as with most stones on Uist, are known as clach ultach. They were lifted into the fold of the lap because of the massive size of the stones. ..This stone was first lifted by Donald Morrison in the early 1800s. In 1842, the ship known as The William Wallace ran aground. Morrison and a friend were tasked to watch the ship during night at which time both died of exposure...#UrqFace #UrqStrong #HoldMyStones #Stonelifting #Scotland by @seanurq

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a month ago