Outside the Thatched House
The front door was at the centre of the thatched house, leading to the hearth. In its simplest form, the house always had two rooms. It could be enlarged by adding rooms on either side, increasing the length.
Typical Thatched House. Image courtesy of Bord Failte.
Image courtesy of Bord Failte.
Image courtesy of Bord Failte.
Above is a neat, compact house. It has one window on either side of the front door. This is the typical design of old, thatched houses.
A Well-Kept Thatched House on the Roadside
If a visitor came to the door and the woman of the house opened the door, she would be obliged to have a clean apron on her.
Image courtesy of Tom Graves.A Well-Kept Thatched House on the Roadside
Image courtesy of Tom Graves.
Image courtesy of Tom Graves.
A Well-Kept Thatched House on the Roadside
If a visitor came to the door and the woman of the house opened the door, she would be obliged to have a clean apron on her.
Image courtesy of Tom Graves.Farmers' houses were usually situated back from the road. Thatched houses that were on the main roadside had appearances to keep up, and the outside of the house was generally kept in good order.
The Walls of the Thatched House
A Thatched House in Randalstown
This is a small thatched house at Randalstown, outside Navan. The house is well preserved, showing the original small windows and slightly protruding hall.
By permission of Ciaran Mangan.A Thatched House in Randalstown
By permission of Ciaran Mangan.
By permission of Ciaran Mangan.
A Thatched House in Randalstown
This is a small thatched house at Randalstown, outside Navan. The house is well preserved, showing the original small windows and slightly protruding hall.
By permission of Ciaran Mangan.The walls of thatched houses were built of stone, using lime mortar. Where stone was not available, mud walls were built. Walls were usually 60 centimetres thick, or more. Openings for windows and doors were small, and were cut out afterwards.
Mud walls generally had a stone base of about 1 metre high. This helped to keep the wall dry and was a protection against rats and mice. The walls were whitewashed with lime on both sides for decoration and protection. For very poor people, clay sods were the typical materials used to build the walls.
Mud walls generally had a stone base of about 1 metre high. This helped to keep the wall dry and was a protection against rats and mice. The walls were whitewashed with lime on both sides for decoration and protection. For very poor people, clay sods were the typical materials used to build the walls.
The Roof of the Thatched House
The roof consisted of light A-shaped couples, each consisting of two rafters and one brace, spaced around one metre apart.
Close-up of a thatched roof. Taken by Ben W. Bell (2005).
Close-up of a thatched roof.
Taken by Ben W. Bell (2005).Close-up of a thatched roof. Taken by Ben W. Bell (2005).
Taken by Ben W. Bell (2005).
Taken by Ben W. Bell (2005).
Close-up of a thatched roof. Taken by Ben W. Bell (2005).
Close-up of a thatched roof.
Taken by Ben W. Bell (2005).
Light timbers were placed horizontally across the rafters to support the roof covering.