First awardee announced under Donegal pilot thatching scheme
Donegal County Council has announced its first awardee under the pilot Rope Thatch Mentorship Scheme.
David McFerran, as first awardee under the scheme, will work alongside master rope thatcher Brian Lafferty.
The scheme was initiated by the Conservation Office and the Heritage Office of Donegal County Council, with support from Creative Ireland, the National Built Heritage Service, the Heritage Council, and Donegal County Council as part of the implementation of the County Donegal Heritage Plan.
Collette Beattie, conservation officer with Donegal County Council, explained: “Our pilot Rope Thatch Mentorship Scheme is the first of its kind in Ireland.
"The mentorship will sponsor David to work with master rope thatcher Brian Lafferty on a part-time basis for six months.
"He will shadow Brian, who will instruct him in the skill of rope thatching, the use of thatch materials, the repair of historic rope thatch, and will provide him with hands-on experience of rope thatching."
According to Donegal County Council, the scheme was open to people who have undertaken initial rope thatch training courses at the new Donegal Thatching School in Kilclooney, west Donegal.
Course participants were invited to apply to the pilot Rope Thatch Mentorship Scheme, with applicants were assessed on their previous thatch training and/or experience, reasons for applying to the Rope Thatch Mentorship Scheme, and their demonstrated commitment to pursuing a career in thatching.
The aim of the pilot Rope Thatch Mentorship Scheme is to provide a training opportunity for a person who wants to pursue a career in thatching in Co. Donegal.
Co. Donegal is one of the few places in Ireland where rope thatching is still practised, the council highlighted.
Joseph Gallagher, heritage officer at Donegal County Council said: “Rope thatching is the predominant thatching method in the west and north of the county.
“On rope thatched houses, the thatch is held in place by a network of ropes, and now chicken wire, that extend from eave to eave via the ridge of the roof and from gable to gable.
"Our concern is that this indigenous method of Donegal rope thatching is being replaced by scollop thatching, non-traditional styles, and even synthetic thatch, particularly in the west and north of the county.
“This iconic form of rope thatching and the craftsmanship of the rope thatcher are being erased from Co. Donegal’s cultural landscape."
Gallagher hopes that initiatives such as the new Donegal Thatching School in Kilclooney, as well as the thatch training course now being offered by Kilkenny & Carlow Education & Training Board and the Heritage Council will, in time, help to address this deficit.
According to Donegal County Council, 27% of the historic thatched properties have been lost in the past 15 years with a further 10% in a poor or very poor conditions.
A particular cause of concern for the council and heritage officers is the replacement of historic thatch by some homeowners with slate when only repairs are required to save and conserve the thatch.
Homeowners are reminded that permission is required from Donegal County Council to replace an historic thatched roof, as it "constitutes a material alteration to the structure.”
