Roofs, Mweelahorna.

Roof of local slate, Cashelnagor.

Rope thatch (sisal and nylon rope). Note “mogall” i.e. longitudinal and cross ropes are looped under and over each other to form a network. Mike Madigan (retired thatcher).

Fine thatch, Windgap, Dungarvan.

Roof timbers, Magheraroarty.

Ruined house, Glencree.

Roof construction: twisting and bending lúbán. The same length of hazel stick is used for both scollop and lúbán: both are taken from the same bundle of prepared sticks. Point of lúbán cut bias to avoid having soft centre of stick coincide with sharp end. Scollop and lúbán in position for holding down thatch - lúbán is pushed in with hand and driven home with mallet till the long leg oes into the scraw, deep down. Scollops are stuck into roof along the edge of straca just finished to keep the straw in position and to mark the position of the lúbán hidden under the thatching. they are taken out one by one as the thatcher moves up towards the apex and used as the scollops for the fresh stráca as in x.

Heather thatch, Goatenbridge.

A farmer who also thatches his own home demonstrates how “butts up” bundles of warter reeds are joined (abutted) to form ridge of thatch roof.

Thatch, Ring.

James Hart’s house; The turf-house. Roofed with furze within and heather without and bound with súgáin hay ropes.

Hughie Cullen (Thatcher with Dúchas, Drumahaire) thatching the roof of an out-building at Seán McDiarmuid’s, Kiltyclogher.

Wattled house, Ballyteague.

Hughie Cullen (Thatcher with Dúchas, Drumahaire) thatching the roof of an out-building at Seán McDiarmuid’s, Kiltyclogher - “blind scolloping” rye straw.

Thatch, Ring.

Roof structure of clay dwelling showing wheat straw and base coat.

Roof construction: (9) thatching - first stráca, boibíní, (10) second stráca, bundle of scollops, lúbán, thatcher’s mallet for driving home lúbán, scollop: hazel rod approx. 3 ft long; 1/2” to 3/4” thick.

Roofing sods cut from a field, Dún Chaoin.

Thatcher, O'Sullivan, Tooreendonnell.

Roofs, Lickettstown.

Roofs, Licketstown.

Sods for roofing, Cnoc Fola.

Thatching 'spires', Ballynagaul.

Thatcher, O'Sullivan, Tooreendonnell.