A Stitch in Time – Thatch Repair Grant Scheme

County Donegal is home to one of the largest surviving concentrations of thatch structures in Ireland. Donegal County Council recognises the contribution that thatched dwellings and outbuildings make to cultural landscape, employment, education, traditional skills retention, economy and tourism.  The conservation of vernacular architecture constitutes appropriate, sustainable and responsible development. It is based on local knowledge of traditional skills, the use of traditional materials and wise land-use practices in which form and function are inextricably linked. Despite their importance and potential, the loss of our thatched buildings has been considerable. With support from Creative Ireland in 2018, a thatch specialist prepared a framework document to inform the setting up a proactive, small-scale, cost-effective pilot ‘Thatch Repair Grant Scheme’ to (i) provide specialist advice to owners on the conservation of their thatched properties; (ii) allocate funding for small-scale thatch repairs to vernacular buildings based on best conservation practice; and (iii) facilitate homeowners to undertake thatch repairs themselves under conservation supervision.  The framework document, completed in 2018, will be used to oversee 3 or 4 projects in a pilot Thatch Repair Grant Scheme in 2019 supported by Creative Ireland funding.

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.