Thatched Houses

Harry Mc Evoy Repairing his Roof

Harry Mc Evoy of Martry, Kells, repairing his thatched roof. His thatching fork is prominent beside him.

By permission of Geraldine Tallon.

Harry Mc Evoy Repairing his Roof
By permission of Geraldine Tallon.

Harry Mc Evoy Repairing his Roof

Harry Mc Evoy of Martry, Kells, repairing his thatched roof. His thatching fork is prominent beside him.

By permission of Geraldine Tallon.

Enlarge image

An Irish thatched house had a roof made from local materials. In some poorer places this might be heather, but mostly it was reeds or straw. The thatch needed a lot of work to make sure it kept the water out. A person who thatched roofs was called a thatcher.

This is a picture of a thatcher at work in Kells, Co. Meath. The thatch had to be replaced after a number of years. Because of this, people began to use iron or slate to make roofs instead.

Thatched house,

This is a photograph of a man outside a traditional thatched house.

Matthew Ronan Collection, Wexford County Libraries Local Studies

Thatched house,
Matthew Ronan Collection, Wexford County Libraries Local Studies

Thatched house,

This is a photograph of a man outside a traditional thatched house.

Matthew Ronan Collection, Wexford County Libraries Local Studies

Enlarge image

Nowadays, most roofs are made from concrete tiles or from slates. Thatched homes can still be seen all over the country. Usually they are beautifully kept, like the one in the picture.

Many cottages and small farmhouses had a half-door like the one in the picture. Windows were very small so the half-door was important to let fresh air and light into the house. The half-door also kept the animals out and the small children in.