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Straw thatch in progress on one of the practice roofs

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"Practical Thatching" was held over the 22nd and 23rd November, and covered the basics of both heritage and modern techniques.
The course kicked off on the 22nd with a lecture by Dr. Barry O'Reilly, whose iconic survey of thatched properties allowed qualitative policy on thatched buildings to be set. Followed by talks from Joe Gallagher and Collette Beattie from Donegal County Council, participants moved down to the Workshop, and the thatching began. Mike Davies brought the trainees through the materials and tools to be used, and started them laying a coat of water reed onto the bare timber roof.
After some concern when the mains power was out from the storm on the morning of the 23rd, by 11 o'clock we were back in action. 10 trainees had hands on experience of scolloping straw onto the reed coat they had laid the day before, under supervision by Ivor and James Kilpatrick.
The course was part funded by the National Built Heritage Service and Donegal Education and Training Board's Community Education Support Programme.

The Rope Thatching course, in which the acknowledged expert of Donegal style roofs Brian Lafferty tutored 2 trainees in the materials, tools, equipment, and methods of maintaining a Rope Thatch was held over the 16th and 17th past. Entirely funded by the National Built Heritage Service, great progress was made by the trainees, who now feel very confident in their ability to work in this medium.

We held two "Taster Days" in conjunction with the National Built Heritage Service, and Donegal County Council over the weekend of the 12th and 13th October, which was well attended. Feedback from the attendees was very positive.

View of Rope thatch roof, with other practice roofs behind

Practice roofs

Our state of the art roofs allow full scale hands-on thatch training in different styles and features.
The Donegal rope thatch roof serves as an ideal exhibition, allowing work on restoration and heritage thatch from the timbers up, including laying of scraws. The removable barges and movable chimneys provide multiple configurations to cover all roof types found extant in our unique vernacular, with the eaves at a level suitable for beginners and practitioners alike.
Two further rigs are configured to train students on straight-work, and the different features found in both modern and heritage buildings. Hips, valleys, barge ends (removable to accomodate different styles), and chimneys are all incorporated into the rigs.
Students will be trained to work in a variety of styles, fixings, and materials to ensure that they will be able to confidently work all over Ireland, and indeed throughout the E.U., and indeed further afield.
Our tutors represent styles and experience from a wide variety of buildings they have thatched around the country, and are all masters of the craft.
Whether you are interested in becoming a Thatcher, or you own a thatched building, or you are interested in the trade and its history, Donegal Thatching School will satisfy your interest.
As well as our purpose built building housing the practice roofs, the Dolmen Centre is just metres away, with its cafe, meeting rooms, toilet facilities and more.