School: Gallen
- Location:
- Gallen, Co. Offaly
- Teacher: T.R. Goodwin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0816, Page 183
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Then lighter sticks were placed on top of the roof in the same way as slating laths are put on nowadays. On top of that a layer of screws or sods from the top of the bog or field are put on the roof Then the house was ready for the first coat of straw.
Rye straw was considered the best but wheaten was and still is much used. Before using the straw it was "pulled" so that the blades would be straight, and would lie in the same direction.
The thatcher starts at the bottom of the roof and does a stripe up about the width of the ladder. These stripes are called "strokes".
When the thatcher has one stroke finished he goes back to the bottom of the roof and does another and so on until he has the whole roof thatched.
Long ago the first coat was fixed to the screws and sticks with twine and then straw ropes(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Rosie Coughlan
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Noggusboy, Co. Offaly
- Informant
- Mr Joseph Coughlan
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Noggusboy, Co. Offaly
