Traditional Irish thatching techniques differ from region to region. In the present day, thatching for newer buildings has become more standardised.
Unfortunately, there has been a decline in historic thatch in Ireland, due to a lack of knowledge of traditional materials and techniques. The government is taking steps to halt this decline.
Generally speaking, there are three main traditional methods of securing thatch to a roof.
Roped Thatch
Historically, roped thatching was the most common technique along the west coast of Ireland. In particular, it was used throughout Connemara for the roofs of small outbuildings, such as hen houses and turf sheds.
With this method, the thatch is laid over the roof and held down in position by a network of ropes fastened to the tops of the walls, or two weights at the eaves. Although this method is now rarely used to thatch domestic houses, it is still widely used as a thatching method on outuildings by small farmers.
Pinned Thatch
Pinning is the most popular method of securing thatch. With this method, the thatch is pinned to the roof underneath with slender, wooden rods called scollops. A small bundle of straw is prepared and laid at the eave. This is then fastened by placing a scollop over it and securing this with two or three other scollops bent into staples, resembling a hairpin.
The next portion of straw is placed a little higher up so that it covers the scollop and work continues in this way to the ridge. In many areas, the ridge is finished with rows of bobbins. These are wisps of straw, shaped around a rod, which are fitted along the ridge and the free ends of the wisps are pinned down on each side with scollops.
Thrust Thatch
In most of Leinster and in parts of East Ulster, thrust thatching was historically the preferred method. The strokes used in this form of thatching are similar to those used in scollop thatching.
Firstly, a layer of thatch is stitched to the roof timbers. Then the thatcher takes a handful of straw, twists the ear end into a knot and thrusts it tightly into the straw layer already on the roof, until the roof is completed. The ridge may be finished with bobbins or a decorated ridge-board.