School: Glascorn (roll number 16615)
- Location:
- Glascarn, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Mrs Hope
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0736, Page 174
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- XML “Old Crafts - Thatching”
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- In olden times the houses were mostly thatched and a new thatch had to be put on every couple of years. We are living in a thatched and we got it thatched last month. This is how it is done. First of all the straw has to be shaken out and then put into bundles. A bundle is handed up to the thatcher and he opens the bundle and makes a "bobbin" from a handful of straw. The bobbin is knotted at one end. The knot is stuck into the old thatch with a thatching fork. When he is starting at the eave of the house he puts in three scollops and when he reaches the top he puts in three more. The scallops are made from sallow rods and are pointed at each end. He drives the scollops in with a mallet. When he has finished thatching he has to "stick" an eave, that means(continues on next page)
