What Irish Do: Thatched Roofs

In this episode, IrishEmpire.org and Colin Carroll journey northward to Rhode in County Offaly to meet John Brereton. John is a master thatcher and the last of a dying breed of Irish craftsmen. Discover the myths and secrets of working with straw in the company of Ireland's #1 weaver.

[@alforliniteaching5670]

Hot damn this what I'm talking about. Little need for expensive material.

[@karengrayheritageocc7523]

Hi there. Just wondering would the owners of this clip be interested to submit it as part of Heritage Week 2021 for County Offaly. I am sure there would be lots of interest in it.

[@deezynar]

It isn't really waterproof in the sense that plastic is waterproof. Water sticks to stuff, it has adhesion, once it touches a straw it wants to stick to it and it flows down that straw. It touches neighboring straws too, and flows down them as well. The water penetrates into the straws, but not very deep because it is being diverted along them so effectively. Thick straw not only makes a rain proof roof, it is also a good insulator. In a humid climate, it won't catch full afire, but it will where I live. Humidity here is between 2% to 15% most of the year, and we can go for months without rain. A couple years of that dryness and it would burn like a torch.

[@PhantomQueenOne]

Sadly this kind of roof would be too dangerous in Arizona where I live. You have to have asphalt, clay tile, slate, or wood shingles (and they even have an issue with that). It's so hot and dry here that the weeds and dry grass by the side of highways burst into flame from people throwing lit cigarettes out of the car window and start wildfires.

[@PhantomQueenOne]

***** Welcome to the desert.

[@PhantomQueenOne]

***** I hate being cold. I grew up in Wisconsin, and I hated the Winters. I would prefer California, but I have little choice at the moment.

[@PhantomQueenOne]

***** I live more in the high desert, it does get below freezing, but only during late December and January. It very seldom snows unlike Northern Arizona by the Grand Canyon. It only snows maybe every other year, and seldom 'sticks'. Due to the screwed up climate the Winters have been harder and colder and the Summers hotter. Normally in this part of Arizona (or at least years ago) we have four mild seasons where you could walk outside in the afternoon in February in just jeans and tee-shirt. Down in Phoenix it gets below freezing at night, and can get over 90 - 100 F in the afternoon. The Arizona desert, where you can get hypothermia and hypothermia... in the same day... in February. I belong to the SCA (SCA.org) which is a middle-ages reenactment group and was camping at the Estrella War, and did both. Of course we had a torrential rain that flattered my tent with me inside and caused me to go into hypothermia one year. And I was wearing a heavy felted wool dress, leggings and boots and _still_ froze my ass off. I went home and about a hour away and it took me hours to stop shaking in cold. They had to take several people to the hospital that night from hypothermia. Freezing rain, not fun. I collected my tent the next day. And then of course I've gotten way overheated too. They've had to take people to the hospital for that too. Especially the fighters. Full body armor (the real stuff they wore in the Middle-ages) in roughly 100 F + (38 C or above) in the full Arizona sun. As the saying in Arizona goes 'Did you bring enough water? No, that's not enough'. When they tell you to bring a gallon or more of water per person per day, they mean it. And that doesn't include caffeine containing drinks or alcohol which can cause you to dehydrate. Arizona, it's a trip. We have the hottest place in the US people actually live in. It's called Lake Havasu, home of the London bridge. Some rich dude bought one of the bridges that crossed the River Thames and had it shipped here. Why? He had so much money he didn't know what to do with it all... If you ever get to the states see the Grand Canyon, it's awesome. 4.bp.blogspot.com/-3aaYUg96Www/T_IKkW6ab2I/AAAAAAAABak/PBdO7OqmZ6M/s1600/LOL+-+Satan+called.+He+wants+his+weather+back.jpg

[@PhantomQueenOne]

www.sca.org/ They do have a small group in Ireland, but it's nowhere near as comon as here. It's very common to have 3000+ people at the Estrella War every year. Pennsic War has many more people, I've never been there, it's in Pennsylvania about 1000 miles away (not sure, never been).

[@PhantomQueenOne]

***** It's very interesting, and you learn so much from it! I learned to spin wool and sew because of it. Although I need to learn to knit and crochet (I crochet a little). I use a Knifty Knitter to make wool hats, scarves and whatnot. I have A Babe's fiber starter spinning wheel and several drop spindles. I'd love to have a loom, but they are very expensive like spinning wheels. My Grandma that died before I was born spun, knitted, tatted, crocheted, and sewed. Her Mom and Dad immigrated from Worcester England and her Mom brought her spinning wheel when she moved here. Sadly her younger sister took it after her Mom died and sold it much to my Grandma's anger because it was to go to her being the eldest daughter. My other Grandma knitted, crocheted, and sewed. I'm 3rd American on all sides, mostly from the UK area. 1/2 English, 1/4 Irish, and the rest German, Dutch, French Canadian, and Seneca (From Canada). I'm a All-American mutt ;p My Mom's Dad's parents came from County Sligo Republic of Ireland.

[@pen2199]

that fkn noise