BILLY KILPATRICK, BORN 1934, and IVOR KILPATRICK, BORN 1965, RAPHOE

Billy and Ivor Kilpatrick are father and son who are both renowned thatchers. Billy’s background was in farming and he describes the circumstances of his initial involvement in thatching. He grows his own thatching materials of rye, flax and wheat. He discusses the methods and materials used in thatching in former days, which included rushes and sprigs in wet ground. He recalls the preservatives used such as bluestone and copper. Ivor describes their work experiences as they travel long distances around the North of Ireland. He explains the technique of the ancient craft of thatching, the harvesting and preparation of the materials and the various bodies who commission their work. The work is hard on the hands, Billy explains, and very few tools are used, as thatching is mostly done by hand. Billy also describes some of the hidden things in the thatch from long ago which they have discovered while repairs are undertaken and also the living creatures such as bats, mice and small birds.