Thatching has been a fundamental part of vernacular architecture in Ireland for centuries, with origins dating back to earliest settlement. Traditionally, thatched roofs were constructed using locally sourced materials such as straw (Wheat, Rye, Flax, Oats and rarely, Barley), water reeds, marram grass, heather, rushes and potato stalks depending on availability. In Northern Ireland, water reed appears to have been confined to a small area around Lough Neagh and possibly the River Foyle but was not associated with Lough Erne[1]. Where it was applied, it was fixed in a similar way to traditional straw[2]
In the 18th and 19th centuries, thatched buildings were common in urban and rural areas, reflecting the skills and traditions passed down through generations.
However, from the end of the nineteenth century, thatching began to decline as more durable and lower-maintenance materials like slate and corrugated iron became widely available. Economic shifts, modernisation, and increasing costs further contributed to the decline of thatched buildings. Today, only a small number of inhabited thatched houses remain in Northern Ireland. A condition survey published in 2023[3] reported that:
[1] Rural Houses of the North of Ireland, Gailey Alan, Edinburgh, 1984. P95.
[2] Historic Thatch (Ireland) Study, Interim Report, Belfast, Department of the Environment, 1995. P9
[3] Thatch Condition Survey 2021-22. Department for Communities, Belfast, 2023
Thatched buildings in many parts of Ireland, particularly northern and western regions, have an underthatch layer of sod, called scraw. All surviving historic thatched roofs in Northern Ireland were constructed with this layer (apart from one building and some outbuildings). Outside of this area, a layer of heather, furze or coarse straw or a matting of woven straw was sewn to the timbers instead. In the east and south of the island[1], a bedding course of straw bundles was tied to the roof structure. Four main thatching techniques with minor variations have been historically recorded in Ireland:
Scollop Thatch
Bundles of thatch fixed in rows, from eaves to ridge, with horizontal rods (also referred to as a ‘stretcher’) held in place by a twisted hairpin shaped hazel peg called a ‘scollop’ The most common approach was to work across the roof in ‘spars’ (sometimes also called a staunch, strip, stroke or strake), usually two bundles wide, positioned from a ladder.
Stapple Thatch
This is a variation on the technique with knotted bundles fixed to the scraws by mud, which, when dry, provided sufficient friction to hold the material in place. In Northern Ireland, this approach was found mainly in the Lecale Peninsula in County Down[2]. It is no longer practised in the region. It was also practiced in North County Dublin[3]
Rope Thatch
In northern and western coastal areas, thatch was laid on scraws but could alternatively be held in place by external ropes and sometimes by a combination of both ropes and pegs (pegged thatch). In Northern Ireland, the last two rope thatched roofs in the Magilligan peninsula near Lough Foyle have recently been lost, but rope thatching is still common in nearby County Donegal and along the west coast of the island. With climate change increasing the frequency of strong winds, the technique may yet see a resurgence.
Thrust Thatch
In this technique the first layer is sewn by a rope to the roof structure and subsequent bundles are knotted at the end and thrust up into the thatch using a special timber fork commonly referred to as a ‘spurtle’[4].The technique is no longer employed in Northern Ireland, or Ulster, to thatch roofs, but is still utilized by some thatchers to ‘darn’ or carry out a patch repair to a scollop thatched roof. Many historic roofs particularly the south west of Northern Ireland show evidence of ropes passing through scraws to timber structure, which may suggest past use of this technique. The approach is still used further south in north and west Leinster. It has also been recorded in east Galway[5]
Materials Selection
Ridge Construction
The traditional approach is to follow the pitch of the roof to the apex and to finish it off in one of three ways: butting material together, bringing one side up past the apex and bending it over (securing it with a ligger on the other side) and fixing thatch from a new bundle over both sides. Rarely seen in Ulster is the bobbin ridge formed of a series of straw bobbins strung together on a scollop stretcher and applied to one or both sides of the ridge. Mortar or clay ridges have been recorded, particularly associated with Stapple Thatch, but are now unknown. Block ridges are not associated with traditional Irish thatch, and are resisted in Northern Ireland (where almost all historic roofs are listed) except where there has been a long historical precedent
Maintenance & Repair
[1] Thatch, a Guide to the Repair of Thatched Roofs, Dublin, DAHG, 2011. P17.
[2] RH Buchanan, Ulster Folklife 3 (1957) p 19-28
[3] Thatch, a Guide to the Repair of Thatched Roofs, Dublin, DAHG, 2011. P32.
[4] Further south In areas where no scraw was used, a sacrificial layer of straw was often sewn onto the roof. Timbers and acted as a base layer much the same way as the scraw behaved or was used
[5] Thatch, a Guide to the Repair of Thatched Roofs, Dublin, DAHG, 2011. P31.
[6] Thatch, a Guide to the Repair of Thatched Roofs, Dublin, DAHG, 2011. P21.
Market issues: Thatch in Northern Ireland has declined alarmingly over the century but this decline was partly halted from the late 1970s by protection from listing and grant aid from government (now the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities). There are currently just under 150 buildings with an exposed thatched roof in this region. In recent years the grant aid available to support repairs has also declined, increasing difficulties for owners. In the Republic, there have also been declines. However, a grant for the repair of the thatched roofs of habitually occupied houses has been in place since 1990, and since 2023, significant further grant aid has been available for all thatched buildings. A recent survey establish the extent of survival of thatch in the Republic.
Market Issues. The generally small size of vernacular buildings has led to large numbers of replacements in Northern Ireland since the 1970s. Thatch buildings are not immune to this trend and largely only those protected as listed buildings remain. Costs to rethatch are significant relative to the resale value of such small buildings and the need to do this relatively regularly in a damp and exposed climate makes it difficult to sustain the roofs without government grant assistance. In the Republic there have been similar issues.
Loss of skills: There are very few experienced thatchers and the number is dwindling, as fewer young people are entering the trade.
Training issues: Training opportunities are limited, and there is little formal apprenticeship support. Efforts are under way to extend this skills base.
Access to raw materials: Good-quality thatching materials are becoming difficult to source. Traditional thatching materials such as long-stem wheat and oat straw are harder to source due to changes in modern farming practices. The widespread use of high-yield, short-stem grain varieties makes it difficult to produce the long, durable straw needed for thatching. Imports of alternative materials like water reed can be costly and sometimes unsuitable for Irish thatching styles.
Market issues: Insurance costs for thatched buildings can be high due to perceived fire risks, making it expensive for homeowners.
Weather and Climate Challenges: Ireland’s wet climate leads to faster decay of thatch compared to drier regions, increasing the need for frequent repairs. Storms and heavy rainfall can damage thatched roofs, especially if proper maintenance is not carried out.
Planning and Conservation Issues: Many traditional thatched buildings are protected under heritage laws, making alterations or repairs subject to regulation. Extra regulation can sometimes be off-putting for prospective owners.
Northern Ireland
Republic of Ireland
In Ireland, several training providers offer courses in traditional thatching, aiming to preserve and promote this heritage craft. These are primarily based in the Republic of Ireland.
Kilkenny-Carlow Educational Training Board (KCETB) (Republic of Ireland): A training programme was begun in January 2025, based at Newmarket, Co. Kilkenny. It is being run by KCETB in conjunction with the Heritage Council. At present there are 15 thatchers in training under the supervision of Brian Simpson.
Irish School of Thatching (Republic of Ireland): irishschoolofthatching.ie
Located in County Wexford, the Irish School of Thatching provides short and intensive courses covering both water-reed and long straw thatching techniques.
Donegal Thatching School (Republic of Ireland): donegalthatchingschool.com
Situated in County Donegal, this purpose-designed workshop offers short-term (day/weekend) courses aimed at training new thatchers and enhancing the skills of existing practitioners. Courses cover both heritage and modern techniques, with an emphasis on maintaining rope thatch.
All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme – All-Ireland-Heritage-Skills-Programme-2025-26-Programme-Information17.pdf
Launched in July 2024, this programme is designed to preserve at-risk heritage skills, including thatching. The course offers collaborative learning experiences across various locations in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Participants receive a full scholarship and a monthly bursary to assist with travel and accommodation expenses.
For Northern Ireland those who regularly operate in the region are understood to be:
For the Republic of Ireland see: Thatchers (02.05.2024)
Ulster Architectural Heritage (UAH) offers a Directory of Traditional Building Skills that includes thatchers.
The Irish Georgian Society provide a similar function in the Republic of Ireland. Conservation – Traditional Building Skills Register | Irish Georgian Society
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