Stone hearth for fireplace

Hi, I am looking for a stone hearth for a brick fireplace- an open fireplace for solid fuel. The dimensions of the slab I need are 5 foot long x 1.5 foot wide (c. 2.5" high). I am in the Roscommon/Athlone area. Can anybody advice me on type of stone i should use....I have heard people say to put in Granite instead of Marble as it is more hardwearing. I have received 2 x quotes from 2 providers which varied considerably -The 1st was €150 for a polished limestone Canadian Blue Slab and the second was €500 for a white or black marble slab.


I would appreciate it if anybody could give me advice on the cost and choice of slab and perhaps send me a private message with supplier details.

The fireplace in question is in my new sitting room. I have purchased a semi-solid walnut floor for this room so my intention is to match the bricks with this colour. So any advice on such brick colours and suppliers would also be appreciated

We have just fitted a sandstone slab as a fire hearth under a stanley wood stove. It has a rustic look, which I hope to finish with a brick back.
I would suggest looking in your local paving centre. They have some interesting slabs and stone. We paid €35 for 1.5 yards and we fitted it ourselves.