New grants and apprenticeships are aiming to conserve Irish skills of old

TIME was when the traditional Irish thatched cottage was associated with rural poverty. Then, there was a change in perception when photographer John Hinde — a man who always portrayed Ireland as a land of perpetual sunshine and blue skies — came along. His postcards featuring such cottages went all over the world.

In more recent times, some people regard thatch as a status symbol on modern homes. So the wheel has turned.

Problem is that old thatched houses are becoming a thing of the past: we had always admired one at Clonbanin, on the Mallow to Killarney road. Now, a little over 1,000 remain, according to estimates.