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Securing a future for thatch in Northern Ireland

A thatcher at work up a ladder on a thatched roof, applying new materials to the surface.
This project will address the critical need to train the next generation of thatchers. Credit: Peter O'Hara Photography.

National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £250,000 to £5million

Dyddiad a ddyfarnwyd
Lleoliad
Lagan
Awdurdod Lleol
Lisburn and Castlereagh
Ceisydd
CITB NI
Rhoddir y wobr
£757117
Our funding will support a vital and timely intervention to preserve a heritage skill that’s under threat.

Fewer than ten thatchers remain in Northern Ireland, with some semi-retired. With no formal pathway to becoming a thatcher, the craft is in danger of disappearing from Northern Ireland.  

In the 1950s, there were 40,000 thatched buildings across Northern Ireland. Today, that number stands at around 180. A 2022 survey found that 25% of those historic thatched buildings were in a poor or very poor condition. Without this project, there is a chance that the profession and associated knowledge will die out locally – leaving these buildings at risk.

A Future for Thatch will address the critical need to train the next generation, creating opportunities for four young people to learn the craft. They will gain valuable on-the-job training through placements with experienced thatchers.

The project’s approach to protecting the future of thatch is multi-faceted. As well as embedding the practical skills, an outreach programme will focus on engaging school children and community groups. These activities will connect local people to the built heritage and traditions of thatching through workshops and site visits.

Barry Nielson, Paul Mullan and Isabel McKernon stand together in front of a thatched cottage. They hold between them a blue roundel bearing the Heritage Fund logo.
Barry Neilson OBE, Chief Executive CITB NI, with Dr Paul Mullan, Director, Northern Ireland at The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Isabel McKernon, Future for Thatch Project Lead, CITB NI. Credit: Peter O'Hara Photography.

CITB NI has consulted with practising thatchers across the island and Northern Ireland’s thatched building owners to develop the project, collating issues which the project will work to address. This includes providing material suppliers with training in reed bed management, to help address concerns over the availability of thatching materials. The project will also support thatched building owners to care for their roofs by delivering free maintenance workshops and networks for knowledge sharing.

Barry Neilson OBE, Chief Executive CITB NI, said: “Through dedicated training and outreach, A Future for Thatch will not only help protect our built heritage but foster skilled employment and strengthen the economic and cultural value of traditional crafts across Northern Ireland.”

Find out more about other heritage projects we’re supporting across Northern Ireland.

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